U.S.–China Relations

China’s Foreign Ministry issued a public statement Tuesday condemning the Trump administration’s tightened sanctions and longstanding embargo on Cuba, accusing Washington of violating international law and demanding an immediate end to what it calls a U.S. 'blockade.' Beijing’s protest comes days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid that disrupted Cuba’s main oil lifeline and after President Trump declared Havana would receive no more oil or money from Venezuela, while hinting that a naval blockade remains an option. Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel has responded that his government is not negotiating with Washington despite Trump’s threats to force a deal by leveraging energy and financial pressure. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal has reported that U.S. officials are actively seeking Cuban insiders willing to support a regime‑change arrangement by the end of 2026, and Trump in June signed a memorandum reinforcing sanctions, travel bans and restrictions on dealings with Cuban military‑linked entities. The episode highlights a widening front in Trump’s sanctions‑driven foreign policy, with China aligning itself rhetorically with Havana and Caracas as U.S. actions raise the risk of new confrontation in the Caribbean that could draw in major powers.

Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Jim Banks of Indiana and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma have asked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to terminate the Guam–CNMI Visa Waiver Program for Chinese travelers, arguing it fuels Chinese 'birth tourism' in the Northern Mariana Islands and creates long‑term security risks. In a Jan. 15 letter, they say allowing mainland Chinese and Hong Kong passport holders to enter Guam and the Northern Marianas visa‑free for short stays has spawned an industry of women giving birth there to secure U.S. citizenship for their children, who they warn could later seek sensitive federal jobs with Mandarin fluency. The push comes as Scott advances a separate November bill to bar surrogacy in the U.S. for residents of certain countries, including China, and as President Trump has publicly complained that China is 'making a big business' out of exploiting birthright citizenship. Local Republican delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds counters that births to tourists on Saipan have plunged from 581 in 2018 to just 58 in 2024 and says 'birth tourism' is not overwhelming the islands’ lone public hospital compared with foreign births in the mainland U.S. Conservative think‑tank voices at the Heritage Foundation argue no visa‑waiver should exist for China at all because of weak information‑sharing and overstay risks, underscoring how a once‑technical territorial travel program has become swept into the broader fight over Chinese influence, security vetting and the future of birthright citizenship.