Han Zheng stood before the General Assembly and called on the United States to honour the sovereignty of Iran and Cuba, warning that continued threats would destabilise the region. He did not name the US directly, but referred to it as the "relevant country," a subtle jab that mirrored Beijing’s earlier stance on Iranian sanctions.
The speech came after former President Trump’s 2023 warning that China was assisting Iran with air‑defence equipment and evading sanctions, a claim that Beijing has categorically denied. In the same breath, Zheng criticised US actions in the Middle East, framing them as a violation of the rule of law.
Cuba, meanwhile, has been under a crippling blockade that left its electrical grid in ruins last month, plunging millions into darkness. Trump’s recent call of Cuba a "failed state" has only added fuel to the fire, prompting the Cuban delegation to walk out of a UNGA session earlier this week.
"China holds that the sovereignty and security of all states must be respected," Zheng told the assembly, using the occasion to present Beijing as a dependable partner for developing nations. He added that the world should act through consultation, not coercion.
The next session of the General Assembly will likely see the US respond to Zheng’s remarks, with diplomats poised to defend the blockade and Iran‑sanction policy. Meanwhile, Cuban families who lost power last month are watching closely, their hopes for a lift in pressure hanging in the balance.