China says US invented terrorism chargesinvented terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade
China accused the United States of inventing terrorism allegations against Cuba to defend its long-running blockade, after a congressional hearing in Washington on Tuesday questioned the evidence behind the designation.
The dispute matters because Cuba’s status on the US state sponsors of terrorism list affects sanctions, diplomacy, and efforts to ease one of the world’s longest-running embargoes.
China
China says the terrorism accusation is a political tool meant to preserve pressure on Cuba rather than a response to new security evidence. From Beijing’s view, the designation fits a broader pattern of US coercive policy toward countries it opposes.
US Democrats
Democratic senators at the hearing said a prior intelligence review found no proof that Cuba was engaged in ongoing state-sponsored terrorism. They pressed officials to explain what changed and why the designation was still justified.
- The US embargo on Cuba began in the early 1960s after the Cuban Revolution.
- Cuba is the only Caribbean nation on the US terrorism list in recent years.
- Congress has repeatedly debated whether sanctions or engagement better serve US goals toward Cuba.
