Key facts
- China condemned a Florida arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro.
- The warrant is for murder charges related to the 1996 downing of two civilian planes.
- China accused the US of abusing judicial measures to pressure Cuba.
China on Wednesday condemned an arrest warrant issued in the US state of Florida for former Cuban president Raul Castro, accusing the United States of using the courts to pressure Havana. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning referred to the 95-year-old as “comrade Raul Castro”, a “venerated” leader held in high international esteem. Florida's top prosecutor announced the warrant on Monday, May 19, 2026, for murder charges connected to the February 24, 1996, shooting down of two civilian aircraft from "Brothers to the Rescue", an organisation assisting Cubans fleeing to Florida by sea. China has close ties to Cuba, a communist state that has been suffering under a US energy blockade, with President Donald Trump's right-wing administration ramping up economic, political and legal pressure on the Caribbean island. Beijing's foreign ministry urged Washington on Wednesday to cease "all forms of coercion and pressure against Cuba". China's foreign minister Wang Yi had vowed in May 2026 to support Havana and confront "power politics and bullying" during talks with his Cuban counterpart in New York.