BEIJING – The United States should heed the call of the international community and immediately stop all its blockade, sanctions, coercion, and pressure against Cuba, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"The US can't justify blockade and illegal sanctions against Cuba with invented allegations and groundless vilification," spokesperson for the ministry Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Those decades-old unilateral sanctions and embargo have wreaked havoc on Cuba's economy and population, and are widely opposed by the international community, she said, adding that China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and rejecting external interference.

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Rubio reportedly ignored a US senator's statement on Tuesday that a thorough review by the intelligence community under the Biden administration had concluded there was no evidence that Cuba was involved in state-sponsored terrorism. Meanwhile, there were also media reports saying that due to the fuel shortage caused by the United States' oil embargo, the UN has been unable to effectively distribute nearly 20,000 tonnes of food in Cuba.