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China came to the defense of Raúl Castro on Thursday and openly criticized Washington's decision to file criminal charges against the Cuban Army General, in a reaction that comes at a time of intense diplomatic activity between Beijing, Moscow, and the White House.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, stated at a press conference: "We oppose the abuse of the judicial process." Additionally, he warned that "the U.S. must stop threatening Cuba with the use of force."
The diplomat added that "China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty, national dignity, and in opposing external interference."
Beijing also reiterated its opposition to unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council.
The Chinese reaction comes one day after the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Raúl Castro for the downing of two civilian aircraft belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four individuals: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The charges against Castro include conspiracy to assassinate American citizens, destruction of aircraft, and four individual counts of murder. Alongside him, five Cuban military personnel were charged, one of whom, Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, is already in custody in the U.S.
The acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was emphatic when announcing the charges: "For the first time in almost 70 years, the top leadership of the Cuban regime has been accused in the United States of alleged acts of violence that resulted in the deaths of American citizens. If you kill Americans, we will pursue you. It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter what position you hold."
The geopolitical context in which China's support emerges is striking. Last week, Trump visited China and was received with all honors by Xi Jinping, with whom he agreed to establish trade and investment councils and a commitment to purchase around 200 Boeing aircraft.
Just five days after that summit, Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing for his own state visit, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the China-Russia Good Neighborliness Treaty and signing nearly two dozen bilateral agreements.
Russia, for its part, had already promised on last Thursday "political, diplomatic, and material support" to Cuba amid the escalating pressures from Washington, which has imposed more than 240 new sanctions against the island since January 2026.
This sequence—Trump received with honors in Beijing, followed by Putin days later—highlights China's role as a central figure in a geopolitical reconfiguration where support for Havana serves as a coordinated political signal against Washington.
The Cuban regime, for its part, rejected the accusation from the United States. Miguel Díaz-Canel described it as a "political action, without any legal basis," while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez referred to it as a "farce" that "aims to reinforce the fraudulent narrative to justify the intensified aggression against the Cuban people."
Despite the historical weight of the accusation, its significance is primarily symbolic: Castro is 94 years old, has never set foot on U.S. soil, and there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the U.S.
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