China exhibited its military power in a parade that united the main authoritarian leaders, with Havana aligned only 90 miles from the USA.
Madrid, Spain.- Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel participated on September 3 in Beijing in the largest military parade in contemporary China, accompanied by Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. The act, held in the Tiananmen Square on the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the Chinese victory over Japan, exhibited the most advanced arsenal of the Asian giant, in a message of force addressed to the democratic world. The presence of Cuba, only 90 miles from the United States, reinforces the geopolitical character of the event.
The military deployment showed intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic armament, submarine drones, poachers and cyber war systems, in addition to more than 10,000 soldiers. Xi Jinping warned in his speech that humanity faces today the dilemma between “peace or war” and “dialogue or confrontation”, in clear allusion to tensions with the West. The parade, which was attended by 26 heads of state or government, consolidated the image of a cohesive authoritarian block, with Russia, North Korea and Cuba in the front line of support for Beijing. For the international press, it was the meeting of the “villains of the world”: leaders questioned by their authoritarianism and their confrontation to the democratic order.
Díaz-Canel’s participation is part of a broader agenda. The Cuban ruler paid tribute to the heroes of the Chinese people in Tiananmen, remembering Fidel Castro’s visit three decades ago. In his official X account, he wrote: “We are very early paying tribute to the heroes of the Chinese people in the Tiananmen square of Beijing, on behalf of the people, the party and the government of Cuba.”
After the parade, Díaz-Canel was received at the Grand Palace of the People by Xi Jinping. According to Chinese state media and reports of international agencies, both signed eleven cooperation agreements in sectors such as agriculture, artificial intelligence, traditional medicine, infrastructure, culture and communication. Cuba will also be incorporated into projects such as the initiative of the Strip and the Route and the Initiative for Global Security.
Xi reiterated that China is “Ready to continue providing assistance and support for Cuba to the extent of their possibilities” and highlighted the “strong friendship” between both regimes. Díaz-Canel thanked “the personal involvement and sensitivity” of the Chinese leader to the island and assured that Cuba will offer a better environment for Chinese companies.
During his visit he also toured the Mixed BPL company, which produces Cuban biotechnological medications distributed in about 2,000 Chinese hospitals, and announced the manufacture in Beijing of 100 million aspirin tablets to meet Cuban demand in 2026.
Meanwhile, on the island the blackouts, food shortages and lack of medicines persist. The contrast between strategic cooperation ads and the harsh daily reality in Cuba reinforces the perception of Díaz-Canel as a minor ally in the constellation of authoritarian regimes that seek to project power on a global scale.
