Beijing/This Wednesday, China defended its cooperation with Cuba as “legitimate and transparent” and rejected the statements of the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who accused the island of allowing “adversaries” of Washington to carry out intelligence activities near its territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference that “cooperation between China and Cuba is legitimate and transparent,” when asked if Beijing considers itself the target of these comments, given its ties to the island.
Lin added that “making excuses, spreading rumors and defaming others cannot serve as a pretext” to justify the “brutal blockade and illegal sanctions” of the United States against Cuba, and stressed that these measures “cannot hide” that Washington “has seriously violated the rights of survival and development” of the country and “the basic norms of international relations.”
Lin stressed that “making excuses, spreading rumors and defaming others cannot serve as a pretext” to justify the “brutal blockade and illegal sanctions.”
The spokesperson also reiterated that China “will firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security,” and urged the United States to “immediately end its blockade, sanctions and any form of coercion and pressure” against the Island.
Rubio stated in an interview that the United States “will not allow” adversary countries to operate intelligence or military bases within a short distance of its territory.
The statements come amid Washington’s growing pressure on Havana, which includes sanctions and warnings of possible additional measures, as well as recurring accusations about the island’s cooperation with other countries in strategic areas.
China has repeatedly denounced what it describes as “coercive diplomacy” by the United States towards Cuba and has reiterated its support for the Island in the defense of its sovereignty, in addition to opposing unilateral sanctions and any form of interference in its internal affairs.
