Related videos:
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded on Tuesday that Washington immediately lift the embargo against Cuba and cease "all forms of coercion and pressure," explicitly supporting the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel following a new round of U.S. sanctions and warnings from the Cuban leader about a supposed military threat.
The Chinese spokesperson Lin Jian stated that Beijing opposes illegal unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law and that it "strongly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and national security," also urging the U.S. to "stop violating the rights of the Cuban people to survival and development."
The statement came a day after Díaz-Canel published on social media that Cuba is facing "threats of military aggression" from the U.S. and that these threats "constitute an international crime."
The Cuban leader warned that, if realized, they would cause “a bloodbath with incalculable consequences” with an impact “destructive to regional peace and stability.”
Díaz-Canel also stated that Cuba "has no aggressive intentions against any country, including the U.S.," but that it suffers from "a multidimensional aggression from Washington" and has "the legitimate right to self-defense."
A report published last Sunday by Axios indicates that Cuba has reportedly acquired more than 300 military drones since 2023, presumably with support from Russia and Iran. Cuban officials have allegedly discussed potential uses of these systems against the Naval Base in Guantanamo, U.S. Navy ships, and, in hypothetical scenarios, Key West, Florida.
The Cuban regime rejected the report, labeling it as "fraudulent files" to justify the tightening of the embargo and a potential military action.
On the same Monday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned nine Cuban citizens, including ministers of communications, energy, and justice, as well as the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba (DGI/G2), the island's main intelligence agency.
It was the second wave of sanctions under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026. The first, announced on May 7 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targeted GAESA and its leadership.
China had already responded to that first wave: Lin Jian declared then that "the intensification of the illegal and unilateral sanctions by the U.S. against Cuba seriously violates the rights of the Cuban people", and spokesperson Guo Jiakun had made a similar call on April 21.
Beijing has also rejected accusations regarding alleged Chinese intelligence facilities in Cuba, deeming them as "pretexts" and "rumors." This stance was summarized by Lin Jian himself on April 29: "Invented pretexts, rumors, and defamations will never justify the brutal blockade and illegal sanctions imposed by the United States against Cuba."
Foreign companies and financial institutions operating with GAESA have until June 5, 2026 to cease those operations, under the risk of secondary sanctions from Washington.
Filed under: