BEIJING, NOV 6: Beijing condemned on Friday new US sanctions against Cuba which it said sought to “sabotage” Chinese relations with the island.
The new wave of sanctions announced by the State Department on Thursday targets Cuba’s oil and electronic sectors.
It also includes, for the first time, two Chinese companies accused of supplying the island’s military with electronics and other security equipment.
China’s foreign ministry vehemently opposed the move, calling the sanctions illegal and an example of “long-arm jurisdiction.”
“China firmly opposes US interference in and sabotage of China–Cuba cooperation,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.
He warned that Beijing would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its businesses.
Since January, Washington has launched devastating new sanctions and an oil blockade against Cuba, crippling its economy and leading to widespread blackouts and shortages of necessities.
US President Donald Trump has hinted at launching a military intervention to overthrow the island’s ruling Communist Party, and last month the American Secretary of State urged Cubans to work with US intelligence services.
The Chinese companies sanctioned on Thursday include the state-owned China National Electronic Import-Export Company (CEIEC) and private firm Beijing H&C Technologies.
The list also extended to Any Rodriguez Lastres, the daughter of the head of Cuba’s largest military-controlled business conglomerate, the Grupo de Administracion Empresarial SA (GAESA).
