China condemns US submarine's entry into Cuban waters

Beijing, Jul 13 (RHC) China condemned Thursday the entry of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine into Cuban waters without permission and considered it a threat to the island's sovereignty.

Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed support for the Cuban Foreign Ministry's statement against the presence of such a war artifact in Guantanamo Bay, where a U.S. naval base is located.

He recalled that such a show of force illustrates the domineering nature of the White House and is also contrary to the 2014 declaration of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States as a zone of peace.

China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity, in addition to opposing interference in its internal affairs and the economic, financial, and commercial blockade maintained by the White House for more than six decades.

It also urged the United States to stop military provocations, lift the "merciless" siege, and all sanctions imposed on Havana as soon as possible.

On Tuesday Cuba explained that the submersible remained in Guantanamo Bay from July 5 to 8 last July, defined it as a provocative escalation, and said it was unaware of the political or strategic motives behind the action.

"The presence of a nuclear submarine there at this time forces to question what is the military reason for the fact in this peaceful region of the world, against what objective it is directed and what strategic purpose it pursues" the Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement.

It denounced the installation of more than 70 U.S. military bases in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the frequent reference to the intention of using its military strength to ensure its ambitions over the region's natural resources.

"As is known, the U.S. military base has occupied that territory of 117 square kilometers for 121 years, against the will of the Cuban people and as a colonial remnant of the illegitimate military occupation of our country that began in 1898, after the expansionist intervention in the war of independence of the Cubans against the Spanish colonial power," he added.

 Among other issues, he deplored that the permanence of the enclave only responds to the political objective of trying to outrage the sovereign rights of Cuba, while the practical utility is reduced to serve as a center for detention, torture, and systematic violation of human rights of dozens of citizens from various countries. (Source: PL)