China urges US to immediately end blockade and pressure on Cuba

China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong on Tuesday urged the United States to immediately end its blockade and pressure on Cuba.

Fu made the remarks during a UN General Assembly debate on the "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba."

Fu said the United States' illegal economic blockade and unilateral economic sanctions against Cuba had lasted for more than 60 years and continued to intensify. The General Assembly had discussed the issue for 34 times, yet the relevant resolutions remained unimplemented, he said.

Countries, regardless of their size, wealth or strength, were equal members of the international community, Fu said. All countries had the right to independently choose social systems and development paths suited to their national conditions.

Cuba's future and destiny must and can only be determined independently by the Cuban people, he said, adding that no country had the right to impose sanctions, force its own will or development path on another country, or exert pressure on Cuba through military threats or the abuse of judicial measures.

Fu stressed that unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council had no basis in international law.

Using illegal means such as economic blockades to obstruct and undermine other countries' people's rights to survival and development violated international morality and the common values of humanity, he said.

The international community should take a clear-cut stand in defending the right to development and promoting development cooperation, while safeguarding people's rights and dignity by continuously meeting their aspirations for a better life, Fu said.