The Chinese regime made a “demand” to the United States this Monday (5): the “immediate” release of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, captured by the US during a military operation in Caracas on the 3rd.
In its justification, Beijing argued that Washington’s use of force represents a “risk” to peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed at a press conference the Asian country’s “grave concern” about the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and asked the US to “guarantee their personal safety” while they are outside Venezuela and carry out their “immediate release”.
Lin stated that Washington’s actions “clearly violate international law and the basic norms that govern international relations”, in addition to contradicting “the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
In this sense, Xi Jinping’s regime accused the US of resorting to a “brazen use of force” against a sovereign country and of carrying out actions that, according to Beijing, “undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty”.
The spokesperson also said that these actions “threaten peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean”, a region that he declared to be considered by China as a “zone of peace”, and reiterated his country’s opposition to the use or threat of the use of force in international relations, as well as what he described as practices of “hegemonic harassment”.
In several responses to journalists during the press conference, Lin insisted that Washington must “cease efforts to undermine the Venezuelan regime” and resolve the crisis “through dialogue and negotiation”, something that Donald Trump’s administration has said on several occasions it has tried to do, but Maduro has refused to do.
China, he added, “supports the UN Security Council convening an emergency meeting” to address the situation and defended that the body fulfills its responsibilities in accordance with its mandate.
Asked about Beijing’s contacts with Caracas after Maduro’s capture, the spokesperson recalled that China “respects the sovereignty and independence of Venezuela” and trusts that the country “manages its internal affairs in accordance with its Constitution and its laws”, without confirming direct conversations with the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has taken on an interim role as head of the Venezuelan Executive.
Regarding bilateral cooperation, Lin signaled that “energy cooperation is cooperation between sovereign states” and is “protected by international law and the laws of the countries involved.”
In this context, he stressed that, “regardless of changes in Venezuela’s internal situation”, China’s willingness to deepen cooperation with the Caribbean country “in different areas will not change”, and that China’s “legitimate interests” in Venezuela “will continue to be protected in accordance with the law”.
The spokesman also refused to admit that Beijing seeks to establish “spheres of influence” in Latin America. According to him, Chinese policy towards the region “is coherent and stable”, based on the principles of non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and “without ideological alignments”.
China, Lin added, “will continue to be a good friend and a good partner” of Latin American and Caribbean countries and is willing to work with them to “defend the UN Charter, safeguard international equity and justice” and jointly respond to tensions arising from the current situation in Venezuela.
The statements come in a context of growing regional tension following the American military operation that culminated in the arrest of Maduro and his transfer to the United States, an episode that generated critical reactions from several governments and led to the convening of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which should take place at around 12pm Brasília this Monday.
