China sends 5,000 solar systems to Cuba amid energy crisis

A new shipment of 5,000 solar home systems donated by China has arrived in Cuba to provide electricity to public facilities and households in remote areas, Cuban and Chinese authorities said.

The shipment brings China's donation to a total of 200 containers of solar equipment. The systems will be distributed across the country's 169 municipalities, with priority given to rural households and critical facilities.

The shipment follows an earlier donation of 5,000 photovoltaic systems delivered by China in November 2025.

Cuba has been grappling with a worsening energy crisis, with repeated nationwide blackouts and fuel shortages affecting its aging power plants. The island's power grid suffered another nationwide collapse last week.

The crisis has been exacerbated by US restrictions on oil supplies to Cuba. In January, President Donald Trump authorized tariffs on goods from countries that provide oil to the island, including indirectly through third countries.

Washington has also tightened sanctions on Cuban government-linked entities, including measures targeting the energy sector. Cuban authorities have blamed US pressure for worsening the crisis.

The shipment comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to the US from Sept. 23 to 25, his first visit to Washington since 2015.

Xi is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss bilateral and global issues.

China maintains close political and economic ties with Cuba and has repeatedly called for an end to US economic, commercial and financial restrictions on the island.