Beijing, China - Beijing on Friday condemned new US sanctions against Cuba, which it said are an attempt to "sabotage" Chinese relations with the embattled island nation.
The new wave of sanctions announced by the State Department on Thursday targets Cuba's oil and electronic sectors.
It also includes, for the first time, two Chinese companies accused of supplying the island's military with electronics and other security equipment.
"Cuba's ruling elite is hoarding the island's energy, shipping, and technology resources for its own enrichment, leaving the Cuban people to contend with blackouts, shortages, and a stagnant economy," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
"I am designating ten targets including additional Cuban elites, a crude oil shipping network, state-owned import and technical-support entities, and China-based suppliers of the regime’s military forces," he announced.
While Rubio claims that Cuba's regular nation-wide blackouts are the result of corruption, it is worth mentioning that the Trump administration's devastating oil blockade of Havana has led to extreme fuel shortages and a massive humanitarian crisis.
China's foreign ministry vehemently opposed the sanctioning of its companies, calling the move illegal and an example of "long-arm jurisdiction."
"China firmly opposes US interference in and sabotage of China–Cuba cooperation," spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news briefing. He warned Beijing would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its businesses.
The Chinese companies sanctioned on Thursday include the state-owned China National Electronic Import-Export Company, and private firm Beijing H&C Technologies.
The list also extended to Any Rodriguez Lastres, the daughter of the head of Cuba's largest military-controlled business conglomerate, the Grupo de Administracion Empresarial SA.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly hinted at launching a military intervention to overthrow Cuba's government. Last month, Rubio urged Cubans to work with US intelligence services.