Beijing, China, January 7 (ANI): China on Wednesday strongly condemned the United States’ actions against Venezuela, describing Washington’s demands and use of force as “bullying” that violates international law, infringes on Venezuela’s sovereignty, and undermines the rights of its people.
Speaking at a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the US administration for urging Venezuela’s acting president to sever economic ties with China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba, and to partner exclusively with the United States. Mao said such demands “seriously breach international law” and amount to coercion that threatens Venezuela’s sovereign rights.
“Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic activities. The U.S. blatantly used force against Venezuela and asked the country to ‘favor’ America with regard to its oil reserves. Such bullying seriously breaches international law, infringes on Venezuela’s sovereignty, and violates the rights of the Venezuelan people. China strongly condemns this. Let me stress that the lawful rights and interests of China and other countries in Venezuela must be protected,” she said.
Mao emphasized that the US’ actions regarding Venezuela’s oil assets represent a major breach of international norms and reaffirmed China’s opposition to any measures undermining a country’s territorial integrity or sovereign decision-making. She also called for strict respect for international law and the UN Charter.
“The US’s request violates international law, infringes on Venezuela’s sovereignty, and undermines the rights of the Venezuelan people. The cooperation between China and Venezuela is the cooperation between two sovereign states and is under protection of international law and relevant laws,” Mao added.
The remarks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions following the US “large-scale strike” and the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday. The couple was flown out of Caracas in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement. They have been indicted on charges of alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trial.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela’s interim authorities would transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States. He noted that while the oil would be sold at market price, the proceeds would be controlled by him to ensure they benefit both Venezuela and the United States. The oil is to be transported by storage ships directly to US unloading docks, as per a post on Trump’s Truth Social account.
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