China has moved ahead of Russia as Cuba’s principal economic patron, funding a nationwide roll-out of renewable-energy projects while many high-profile Russian initiatives have stalled. Under agreements signed with Havana, Beijing is bankrolling 55 solar parks this year, part of a programme that aims to install 2,000 MW of solar capacity by 2028—equivalent to almost two-thirds of Cuba’s current daytime demand. The first wave includes a 21-MW plant outside the central city of Jatibonico; overall, new Chinese facilities are expected to add about 1,100 MW to the grid by the end of 2025. The surge in activity underscores Cuba’s deepening economic crisis. Recurrent blackouts, shortages of food and fuel, and tighter U.S. sanctions have strained the island’s finances, prompting authorities to seek fresh external support. Shipments from Chinese ports to Mariel—Cuba’s main container hub—began climbing in August 2024, delivering solar panels, steel and fuel to construction sites across the country. President Miguel Diaz-Canel, alongside Chinese ambassador Hua Xin, has publicly welcomed the projects as critical to stabilising the power grid, which collapsed four times over the past year. By contrast, Moscow’s promises have produced limited results. A $100 million Russian-financed steel mill reopened in 2023 is largely idle, and Progress Agro’s plan to revitalise Cuba’s largest sugar mill in Jatibonico has yet to advance. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko signed a series of accords—ranging from wheat supplies to retail ventures—but many remain on paper, reflecting Russia’s war-related budget constraints and reluctance to extend further credit. Analysts say Beijing’s expanding footprint could provide Havana with a short-term lifeline, though the scale of assistance may still fall short of the investment needed to lift the economy out of recession. The confidential terms of the Chinese deals leave open questions about repayment and long-term influence, even as Washington accuses Beijing of seeking intelligence facilities on the island—allegations both governments deny.