China Urges US To Lift Economic Embargo Imposed On Cuba

China urges the US to heed the decisions of the UN General Assembly and immediately lift all economic and financial restrictions imposed on Cuba, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian said on Thursday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2021) China urges the US to heed the decisions of the UN General Assembly and immediately lift all economic and financial restrictions imposed on Cuba, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

On June 23, Cuba presented the draft resolution "Need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" to the UN General Assembly for the 29th time. Only the US and Israel voted against, while 184 states voted in favor.

"China always believes that we should respect the right of each country to independently choose its social system and development path... China urges the US to immediately and fully lift its economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba, which is the universal call of the international community," the spokesmen said in a statement.

Zhao Lijian expressed the hope that the US, in accordance with the UN Charter, will develop normal bilateral relations with Cuba, which will contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

US restrictions on trade with Cuba date back to the island's communist revolution in the late 1950s and involve at least half a dozen different US laws. Former President Barack Obama took steps to normalize bilateral relations with the island, but many of those steps were reversed by the Donald Trump administration.