BEIJING, September 4. /TASS/. Beijing will continue to help Havana weather its economic blockade by the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

"China will continue to firmly support Cuba in its just struggle against interference and blockade," Xi Jinping said, as quoted by China Central Television. According to him, China is ready to continue to help Cuba where possible. He called for deepening political mutual trust and high-level contacts between the two countries, as well as expanding the exchange of experience in party and public administration. Beijing and Havana should work together to strengthen comprehensive strategic cooperation, continue to coordinate their actions and cooperate on international platforms.

During the Cuban President's visit, Beijing and Havana signed several cooperation documents under the Belt and Road Initiative, a global security, agriculture and artificial intelligence initiative.

Diaz-Canel arrived in China on September 2 on an official visit to participate in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance of the Chinese People against Japanese aggression and World War II.

The United States severed diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1961 in response to the nationalization of American property on the island, and later instituted a trade and economic embargo. In 2014, Barack Obama, the then US president, admitted that Washington's previous policy towards Havana was not working, and began moving towards normalization of ties and easing of sanctions. In 2015, the Obama administration removed Cuba from the American list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The rapprochement between the two countries stopped after Republican Donald Trump took over the United States in 2017. He tightened travel restrictions on Cubans and banned doing business with organizations controlled by the Cuban military. The Trump administration also put Cuba back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Biden administration said it would review its policy towards Cuba, but never did so.