China challenges the US with massive food shipment to Cuba
Flag of Cuba (Photo: Getty Images)
A Chinese cargo ship has arrived in Havana with thousands of tons of rice to support the population. This is the first part of a large food shipment that Beijing promised to deliver to the island’s communist government, according to The Maritime Executive.
Beijing has begun actively rescuing Havana from a food crisis. A government delegation received the dry cargo ship Sunny Hong at the Cuban capital’s port, which delivered 15,000 tons of rice to the island.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the move a positive step. He wrote on his social media that it is a noble gesture of solidarity. Beijing plans to continue and send another 60,000 tons of grain.
Cuba’s Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, confirmed the critical need for grain. The supplies will be immediately distributed across all provinces of the country. Rice is a staple of the Cuban diet, and its shortage has become increasingly acute.
Aid from other countries
China is not the only one sending shipments to the Caribbean nation. A week ago, a vessel from Mexico arrived in Havana, and Cuban officials reported receiving over 3,125 tons of aid.
The Mexican aid package included:
- Food products;
- Essential medicines;
- Personal hygiene items;
- Solar panels for energy supply.
Religious organizations are also stepping up. The Christian charity community Sant’Egidio International sent a container from Genoa. The medical cargo is worth approximately $815,000. In mid-May, wheelchairs and medicines were brought to the island.
The organization plans another shipment in June. Cubans are expecting oil, vegetables, and sugar, but regime critics doubt the fairness of distribution. They claim ordinary citizens rarely see this aid in full.
What is the current situation in Cuba?
The country is suffering from total blackouts due to the US blockade. No oil tankers can reach the island. Trump is demanding regime change in the country and the payment of reparations.
At the same time, Cuban authorities have no intention of yielding without resistance. Earlier, it was reported that Cuba had purchased drones to strengthen its defense capabilities amid tensions with the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as an ethnic Cuban, is trying to use a carrot approach. He is offering the people of Cuba $100 million in humanitarian aid and full decommunization.
