With Cuba staring at a deepening humanitarian crisis - Beijing has made a direct intervention to help the people of the besieged country. In a major announcement, Cuba confirmed the arrival of the first shipment from an expected Chinese donation of nearly 60,000 tonnes of rice. The first batch — 15,000 tonnes — reached Havana port on Saturday. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel thanked China for its support, and also praised members of the European Parliament who criticised what he called the growing pressure campaign against Cuba. Diaz-Canel accused the United States of subjecting Cuba to “collective punishment”, even likening the situation to “genocide”. The development comes as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on the communist island during his second term in office.