China pushes back against U.S. on Iran and Cuba in UN speech

China pushed back against the United States in its speech ​at the UN General Assembly on Saturday (September 26, 2026), saying sovereignty of ⁠countries in the Gulf should be respected and urging the “relevant country” to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade on it.

Vice-President Han Zheng did not ‌mention the U.S. by name in his remarks. The U.S. has launched a pressure campaign on Cuba that has largely ‌blocked oil from reaching the island. The U.S. war on Iran ‌started ⁠with U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.

The comments stood in sharp ⁠contrast to the bonhomie on display earlier this week at the White House, where President Donald Trump feted Chinese leader Xi Jinping with military flyovers and at a lavish ​state dinner.