China on Tuesday urged the United States to terminate as soon as possible its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, which has caused " enormous pains" to the Cuban people.

Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks while addressing the UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for an end of the US embargo on Cuba.

Wang said the General Assembly has adopted resolutions by an overwhelming majority for 21 consecutive years on the necessity of ending the US embargo against Cuba, "urging all countries to abide by the UN Charter and the norms of international law, repeal or invalidate any laws and measures which are of 'extraterritorial ' nature and infringe upon the sovereignty of another state and the legitimate rights and interests of the entities and individuals under the jurisdiction of that state, and which have an adverse impact on the freedom of trade and navigation."

"Regrettably, however, those resolutions have never been effectively implemented," he said, stressing that such practice has led to shortages of supplies and seriously undermined the Cuban economy, creating tremendous obstacles to the economic and social development of the country.

"The embargo has caused enormous pains to the Cuban people and severely impeded their efforts to eradicate poverty, promote economic and social development and achieve the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals)," he said. "It has violated the basic human rights of the Cuban people to food, health and education and their right to survival and development."

Moreover, the Chinese envoy said the embargo also affected the normal economic, commercial and financial interactions between Cuba and other countries, thereby undermining the interests and sovereignty of third countries.

In today's world, dialogue, exchanges and harmonious coexistence represent the mainstream of international relations, Wang said. "The best way to settle differences and disputes is dialogues on an equal footing and friendly consultation."

Expressing Beijing's opposition to any unilateral sanctions against other countries by military, political, economic or other means, Wang said, "China hopes that the US will act according to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the relevant GA resolutions and terminate its embargo against Cuba as soon as possible."

The United States imposed the blockade against Cuba in 1962 when both countries severed diplomatic ties. The Eisenhower administration took the unilateral measures against Cuba to prevent the Cuban revolution from succeeding through economic wars.

Taking into account the depreciation of US dollars against gold in the international market, said the Chinese diplomat, by April 2013, the embargo had resulted in direct economic losses to Cuba in the amount of 1.157 trillion US dollars.