China has urged the United States to immediately lift its blockade and coercion of Cuba, after the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to hold a special debate on the embargo. The July 7 resolution passed with 136 votes in favour, nine against, and 30 abstentions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Washington's more than six decades of sanctions gravely violate the UN Charter and undermine Cuba's rights to survival and development. Beijing has expressed full support for Cuban sovereignty and approved an aid package this year including $80 million in financial assistance and 60,000 tonnes of rice.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez described the embargo as an unconventional multi-dimensional war spanning nearly seven decades, with economic damage reaching a record $8 billion between March 2025 and February 2026. President Miguel Diaz-Canel has warned the pressure amounts to genocide. The island has faced a severe energy crisis worsened by a US oil supply blockade ordered by President Donald Trump in January 2026.