BEIJING-. China called for the immediate lifting of the blockade and sanctions imposed on Cuba by the United States (U.S.), as well as for the Island to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which was drawn up unilaterally by U.S. government.
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Asian giant's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that over the past 60 years, the U.S. “has imposed a brutal blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba, seriously violating its right to survival and development, violating the basic norms of international relations, and causing serious disasters for the Cuban people.”
The statements were made in response to a question about President Donald Trump's recent memorandum approving new measures against the Caribbean nation.
The spokesperson reiterated that China “firmly supports Cuba in its search for a path of development that suits its national conditions” and expressed its rejection of Washington's use of unilateral sanctions “under the pretext of supposed ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy.’”
Mao emphasized that lifting the blockade and removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is also the demand of the international community.
On Tuesday, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX, for its Spanish acronym) issued a statement rejecting U.S. Presidential Memorandum that tightens the economic blockade against the Island.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry's message explained that the document, released by U.S. government on June 30, “consists of a reissue and amendment of Presidential National Security Memorandum No. 5,” issued by the US on June 16, 2017, during Trump's first term.
“Cuba categorically denounces and rejects both versions of the infamous document,” the MINREX statement said.
