The dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, met this Friday (2), in Caracas, with Qiu Xiaqi, special envoy of the dictator of China, Xi Jinping, amid increased tensions with the United States, which is currently maintaining a military siege against Venezuelan territory.
According to the state broadcaster Venezuelan Television (VTV), the meeting between Maduro and Qiu took place at the Miraflores Palace, headquarters of the regime, and was attended by executive vice-president Delcy Rodríguez and chancellor Yván Gil. The Chinese ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu, also participated on behalf of the Chinese delegation.
According to the VTVthe meeting aimed to “review cooperation ties between Venezuela and China”, countries that maintain more than 600 bilateral agreements. The areas cited include energy, infrastructure, technology and financing.
The meeting takes place in a context of criticism from the Chinese regime regarding the United States’ naval air deployment in the Caribbean, which began in August last year. According to Beijing authorities, the operation represents a violation of international law, especially after the US seizure of two tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.
On December 22, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions against Venezuela. According to him, these measures “lack a basis in international law” and do not have authorization from the UN Security Council.
The episode occurs just days after United States President Donald Trump announced an attack inside Venezuela against a port area linked, according to Washington, to a drug trafficking network associated with the Maduro regime. As reported by the The New York Timesthe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) would have carried out the drone attack against a port facility in Venezuela, information that Caracas has not officially confirmed.
