China pushes back against U.S. on Iran, Cuba in UN speech | CBC News

Vice-president's remarks contrast with friendliness displayed between Trump and Xi earlier this week

China pushed back against the United States in its speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, saying sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected and urging the "relevant country" to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade on it.

The U.S. has launched a pressure campaign on Cuba that has largely blocked oil from reaching the island. The U.S. war on Iran started with U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.

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"Major countries should have special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security, and they should take the lead in complying with the rules, upholding rule of law and doing what's right," Han said.

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"China holds that the sovereignty and security of countries in the Middle East, including the Gulf, should be respected."

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The warning followed reports that Beijing had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired ​air-defence missile launchers and that Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese ​help.

Cuba's electrical grid suffered a total collapse earlier this month, plunging the nation ​into darkness and leaving millions without power as the U.S. continues to press its blockade.

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Cuba's aging power generation system ​has been under severe ​strain from ⁠fuel shortages and decrepit infrastructure for years, but a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that began in January has worsened ​blackouts and led to frequent grid collapses.