CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Chinese media coverage of this episode, illustrated by the CGTN article, reveals a sophisticated geopolitical communication strategy that fits within Sino-American rivalry. The emphasis placed on Cuban President Díaz-Canel's statements qualifying the summit as "neocolonial" is not insignificant: it allows Chinese media to legitimize their own anti-hegemonic narrative by giving voice to a historical ally who denounces American imperialism. This approach allows Beijing to indirectly criticize Trump's foreign policy without appearing directly confrontational.

The tone adopted by CGTN is remarkably factual and neutral on the surface, but the editorial choice to highlight this specific criticism reveals a deliberate narrative framing. By reporting "new" American threats against Cuba, Chinese media construct a narrative where the United States appears as the destabilizing aggressor in the region, while Cuba embodies legitimate resistance to Western hegemony. This presentation aligns perfectly with Chinese rhetoric about "multilateralism" and denunciation of American unilateralism.

The silences are just as revealing as what is said. The article carefully avoids mentioning the controversial aspects of the Cuban regime or the historical reasons for American sanctions, focusing exclusively on the "anti-imperialist" dimension of the conflict. This strategic omission makes it possible to present Cuba only as a victim of American aggression, obscuring the complexity of democratic and human rights issues that partially motivate American policy.

Chinese narrative framing thus transforms a regional summit into a symbol of the broader struggle between models of global governance. Trump and the United States are implicitly positioned as neocolonial antagonists, while critical voices like Díaz-Canel's are amplified as representing the resistance of Global South countries. This approach serves Chinese geopolitical interests by delegitimizing American influence in the Western Hemisphere, potentially opening space for the expansion of Chinese influence via the Belt and Road Initiative.