International Desk: China has voiced strong opposition to the latest U.S. sanctions imposed on Cuba and its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel. Responding to media questions at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized Washington`s actions and urged it to end its pressure campaign against the island nation.

The spokesperson said the United States has further intensified its embargo and sanctions against Cuba and, by publicly blacklisting Cuban leaders, has once again exposed what China described as its hegemonic and coercive nature.

According to the spokesperson, maintaining stability in Cuba is a shared expectation of the international community, and any attempt to undermine that stability would ultimately have negative consequences for the United States itself. China called on Washington to immediately lift its blockade against Cuba, cease all forms of coercion and pressure, and refrain from infringing upon the Cuban people`s rights to survival and development.

The spokesperson reaffirmed that China will continue to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and will consistently oppose external interference in the country`s internal affairs.

On June 4, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, along with a number of Cuban entities and individuals.

In response, Díaz-Canel said the move was aimed at tightening the long-standing U.S. blockade against Cuba and vowed that the country would resolutely resist what he described as imperialist aggression.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry also condemned the new round of sanctions, calling them an act of “economic aggression” and warning that they could be used as a pretext for even more dangerous measures, including military actions against Cuba.

Source: Lily, Touhid and Swarna,China Media Group.