People’s Republic of China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Press Conference on July 11, 2022 (Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China)

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

China on Monday  called on the U.S. to “heed the call for justice from the international community” and lift all its sanctions imposed against Cuban officials.  People’s Republic of China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, speaking at a press conference, said China firmly supports the Cuban government. The China spokesperson said the US’s “imposition of unilateral sanctions”  on Cuban officials lacks basis in international law.  The US Department of State announced in a statement released on July 9 that it has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on 28 Cuban officials including those who are implicated in the repression of the peaceful July 11, 2021 protests and suspend their entry into the US. 

The China spokesperson characterized U.S. sanctions as a “textbook example of coercive diplomacy”.

According to the U.S. Department of State,  those covered the latest round of sanctions include high-ranking members of the Cuban Communist Party responsible for setting national- and provincial-level policies.  “Instead of ensuring the safety of the Cuban people and respect for their freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, these officials permitted or facilitated violent and unjust detentions, sham trials, and prison sentences spanning decades for hundreds of protesters,” the State Department said in a statement. 

CHINA Urges U.S. To  Abide by UN Charter and Lift All Sanctions on Cuba

“The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted the resolution urging the US to end its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba for 29 consecutive times. We call on the US to heed the call for justice from the international community, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and lift all its unilateral sanctions on Cuba.”

-People’s Republic of China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin

The U.S. Department of State said the Cuban government employed “Internet throttling”  on July 11, 2021, to both prevent the Cuban people from communicating with each other and “keep the world from witnessing the historic events that day”.   The Department added that Cuban state media officials continue to engage in a campaign against jailed July 11, 2021, protesters and their family members who speak publicly about their loved ones’ cases. 

“This announcement of visa restrictions comes in response to the actions of Cuban government officials that limit Cubans’ enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms”   –  U.S. Department of State