Cuba’s changing of the guard and Sino-Cuban Relations

Scott MacDonald
Publication Date: 
March 1st, 2018

This piece looks at the future of Cuba's relations with China in the post-Castro era. It notes that Cuba faces substantial serious domestic and international political and economic challenges and that because of this it sees China as a potential ally and source of economic support. While China will be interested in strengthening its backing for Cuba because of the latter's vital location, it will be cautious. First, China will not want to "jeopardize the hugely more important U.S. trade for turning the Caribbean island into a new Cold War outpost" and Cuba must first "stand on its feet economically."

This piece originally appeared as Scott MacDonald, "Cuba’s changing of the guard and Sino-Cuban Relations," China Policy Institute: Analysis, March 2018 and is available at: https://cpianalysis.org/2018/02/26/cubas-changing-of-the-guard-and-sino-.... Copyright remains with the original holders.