China condemned today Cuba's inclusion on the United States' list of nations accused of terrorism, and warned about Washington's double standards in the struggle against that problem.

The remark by Beijing's authorities was made when the Department of State published its annual list of countries designated as sponsors of terrorism, among them Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Cuba.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said terrorism is a common enemy of humanity, and China has always maintained that the world community should join efforts to fight it and avoid double standards.

In her traditional meeting with the press, the spokeswoman recalled that once again, Cuba has condemned its inclusion on this list, and demanded that it be removed.

Hua expressed China's hopes that Cuba and the United States develop normal ties between States on the basis of equality and respect, in the interest of the two countries and peoples.

Those relations will help peace and stability in Latin America, she said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said resolutely that its territory has never been used nor will it be used to shelter terrorists of any origin or to organize, finance or perpetrate terrorism actions.

Hua also demanded to definitely exclude Cuba from the list of national sponsors of terrorism prepared annually by Washington, which it described as "spurious, unilateral and arbitrary."

"This is an affront to the Cuban people and a discredit to the U.S. government," the Cuban statement said.