Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during talks in New York that Beijing would support Cuba’s sovereignty and economic development, according to Chinese state media. Wang said China opposed “all forms of power politics and bullying,” in remarks widely seen as directed at Washington.

The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba through sanctions, legal action and restrictions on Venezuelan oil shipments to the island. Washington last week indicted former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian U.S. aircraft, a move condemned by Beijing.

China has expanded economic support for Cuba in recent months, including rice shipments and agricultural cooperation agreements, as Havana struggles with fuel shortages and economic strain linked to U.S. sanctions.

The charges announced by U.S. authorities on Wednesday intensified tensions between Washington and Havana and prompted criticism from Beijing, which reaffirmed support for Cuba’s sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference.

“The U.S. side should stop brandishing the sanctions stick and the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo said.

The indictment against Castro, 94, includes charges of conspiracy to kill Americans and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by anti-Castro activists, an incident that killed four people.

Castro, the younger brother of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, led Cuba from 2008 until 2018 after decades as one of the country’s most powerful political figures.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the indictment as a “very big moment” on Wednesday but downplayed suggestions of immediate action against the Cuban government.

The development comes as Cuba faces a prolonged economic crisis marked by fuel shortages, inflation and declining foreign currency reserves, conditions Havana has blamed in part on longstanding U.S. sanctions and restrictions.

China has maintained close political and economic ties with Cuba and has consistently criticized Washington’s sanctions policy toward the island nation.

Ratcliffe held talks with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and Cuban intelligence officials during the visit, marking one of the most significant direct intelligence-level engagements between Washington and Havana in years.

A CIA official said Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba “to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.”

The Cuban government confirmed the meeting in a statement, describing it as taking place “against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.”

According to U.S. officials, Washington reiterated concerns that Cuba could not remain a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” while Cuban representatives rejected assertions that the island posed a security threat to the United States and objected to Cuba’s continued designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, has long maintained influence within Cuba’s security establishment despite holding no formal government office. He previously served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and later oversaw Cuba’s equivalent of the Secret Service.

Officials familiar with the discussions said Rodríguez Castro also held a private meeting earlier this year with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts.

The Havana meetings come amid escalating economic strain in Cuba following tighter U.S. restrictions on fuel shipments to the island. Cuban authorities have warned that severe shortages of diesel and fuel oil have destabilized the national electricity grid, leading to prolonged blackouts and worsening shortages of food and basic goods.

The continuing dialogue between U.S. and Cuban officials has also marked the first known U.S. government flights into Cuba outside the naval base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department reiterated an offer to provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance and satellite internet support if the Cuban government agreed to permit distribution and access arrangements.

In January, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba as part of a broader effort to pressure Havana economically. Trump has also warned of possible intervention in Cuba, although sources familiar with internal discussions told AP that military action was not considered imminent.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently said Cuba was prepared to defend itself against any external threat while continuing to accuse Washington of intensifying the island’s economic crisis through sanctions and fuel restrictions.