Chinese envoy calls on U.S. to lift embargo against Cuba

China's permanent representative to the UN Liu Jieyi Tuesday called on the United States to end decades of embargo against Cuba.

Liu made the remarks earlier in the day before the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the issue by a near-unanimous vote.

Liu noted that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in September has opened up new prospects, presented new opportunities and defined new goals for global development and international development cooperation.

"Under these new circumstances, it is necessary to immediately put an end to the economic embargo and sanctions against Cuba," he said.

It was the 24th time in a row that the General Assembly adopted the annual resolution presented by Cuba appealing for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America.

The measure this year garnered the highest level of backing at the United Nations. Altogether 191 UN member states voted in favor of the non-binding resolution, while the United States and Israel voted against it.

The Chinese envoy said that it is regrettable that the American embargo against Cuba remains in effect, adding that it has inflicted enormous economic and financial losses on Cuba, impeding the efforts of the Cuban people to eliminate poverty, promote economic and social development and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

"It has impaired the rights of the Cuban people to survival and development, and adversely affected economic, commercial and financial interactions between Cuba and other countries," he added.

China has always advocated respect for countries' right to autonomously choose their social systems and development paths and opposed using military, political, economic, or other means to apply unilateral sanctions against other countries, he said.

In July this year, the United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations, marking an important step in the normalization of relations between the two countries.

"We hope that the United States and Cuba will maintain dialogue and consultation and consolidate the momentum of improvement of relations between the two countries," he said.

China has noted that the United States has started to partially lift bans on tourist visits to Cuba as well as bans in commerce and telecommunication, and that the U.S. intends to push for the ultimate lifting of the trade embargo, said Liu.

"We hope that the United States will completely rescind the policy of economic blockade and sanctions against Cuba and that the two sides will develop normal inter-state relations in line with the purposes of the United Nations Charter and the basic principles of international relations," he said.

He noted that this will be in the common interest of the United States and Cuba as well as peoples of the two countries and will be conducive to the stability and development of the Americas as well as the common development of the international community. Enditem