Beijing, China - China pledged to "firmly support" Cuba and help safeguard its sovereignty amid brutal sanctions, blockades, and foreign interference from the Trump administration.

During a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla that China would support Havana against US attacks "no matter how circumstances evolve."

"China will firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests, and in opposing sanctions, blockades, and external interference," Wang told Parrilla, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

According to an official summary of the meeting obtained by Reuters, Wang said "China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Cuba in multilateral affairs, continue supporting and cooperating with each other in multilateral forums, and jointly oppose power politics and unilateral actions."

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Under President Donald Trump's leadership, the US has deeply intensified its assault on Cuba's economy, blocking the island nation's access to many crucial supplies and triggering a brutal humanitarian crisis.

The situation got much worse after Washington abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Caracas had been a key supplier of fuel to Havana – with Maduro's removal, that supply was cut off more or less overnight.

In a move that further intensified the crisis, Washington then threatened countries with tough sanctions if they trade with Cuba or provide humanitarian aid. Since then, Cuba has suffered from regular nationwide blackouts and dangerous shortages of crucial supplies like food and medicine.

Beijing has been highly critical of the US' approach to Cuba, in November condemning Washington's latest round of sanctions, which it calls an attempt to "sabotage" Chinese-Cuban relations.

During his meeting with Parrilla, Wang reportedly praised Cuba for maintaining its independence and resisting pressure amid US attacks, and called for stronger coordination between the two countries.