Beijing condemns US intervention as violation of sovereignty
China has issued a stern rebuke to the United States following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, declaring that it cannot accept any country acting as the “world’s judge” or “international police.”
Speaking in Beijing on Sunday, January 4, 2026, during a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed deep shock over the “sudden developments” in South America. He emphasized that the sovereignty and security of all nations must be fully protected under international law, regardless of their political alignment.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has officially called for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were seized by U.S. forces during “Operation Absolute Resolve” on January 3. Beijing described the military action as a “hegemonic act” that sets a dangerous precedent for global stability. Officials in Beijing argued that Washington is once again placing its domestic laws above established international norms to justify regime change.
The intervention poses a significant challenge to the “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” established between China and Venezuela in 2023. As a major investor and the primary buyer of Venezuelan oil, China has billions of dollars at stake in the country’s economic stability. The Chinese leadership views the U.S. move not only as a violation of sovereignty but as a direct threat to its long-term strategic interests in the Western Hemisphere.
Billions in Chinese investments at stake in Venezuela
The fallout from the U.S. military operation has left Beijing scrambling to assess the security of its vast economic footprint in Venezuela. Over the past two decades, China has extended over $100 billion in loans, energy projects, and infrastructure development to the Caracas government. With President Trump announcing that U.S. oil firms will move into the country to oversee production, China’s state-owned energy giants face the prospect of being sidelined in one of their key global markets.
Customs data shows that China purchased approximately $1.6 billion worth of goods from Venezuela in 2024, with crude oil accounting for nearly half of those imports. A government official briefed on the situation described the capture of Maduro as a “big blow” to China’s image as a dependable ally. The NCSP (Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership) model of development, which China has promoted globally, is now under intense scrutiny as Washington reasserts its influence in the region.
| China-Venezuela Economic Metrics | Estimated Value |
| Total Loans/Investments (2007–2025) | $100+ Billion |
| State-Owned Oil Investment | $4.6 Billion |
| Annual Trade Volume (2024) | $1.6 Billion |
| Strategic Oil Infrastructure | 4 Major Joint Ventures |
Chinese academician Sun Yanfeng warned that the U.S. is attempting to weaken Venezuela as a regional actor with close ties to Beijing and Moscow. He noted that the operation mirrors the 1989 invasion of Panama, where domestic drug charges were used to justify the removal of a sovereign leader. China has vowed to push for a multilateral response within the United Nations to hold the planners of the “aggression” accountable.
UN Security Council to meet as global friction grows
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene an emergency session on Monday, January 5, to discuss the legality of the U.S. strikes and the detention of Maduro. China is expected to lead a coalition of nations—including Russia, Iran, and Brazil—in demanding a formal condemnation of the military operation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has already characterized the strikes as a “dangerous precedent” that could erode the rules-based international order.
Wang Yi reiterated that China always opposes the “use or threat of force” and any imposition of one country’s will on another. He argued that the current international landscape has become “increasingly volatile” due to unilateral bullying. Beijing has urged its citizens currently in Venezuela to stay vigilant and has issued an urgent travel warning as the political future of the country hangs in the balance.
As Maduro awaits his court appearance in New York, the geopolitical rift between Washington and Beijing has widened further. While the U.S. maintains that the operation was a necessary law enforcement action against narco-terrorism, China insists that the future of Venezuela must be decided by its own people. The outcome of the UN session will be a critical indicator of how far the international community is willing to go to challenge the United States’ latest intervention.
