China Rebukes U.S. Venezuela Oil Demands as "Bullying"
"Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over its oil resources and economic activities," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.
Beijing's rebuke followed a media report revealing the Trump administration informed Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez it "must meet the White House's demands," including that Caracas "must agree to partner exclusively with the US on oil production and favor America when selling heavy crude oil."
Media account further disclosed that Washington issued demands that Caracas "must kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and sever economic ties."
"The US' blatant use of force against Venezuela and asking the country to favor America when handling its own oil resources is a typical bullying act, seriously violating international law, and Venezuela's sovereignty," said Mao, adding: "China condemns that."
"Let me stress that China and other countries have legitimate rights in Venezuela, which must be protected," said Mao.
She emphasized that cooperative agreements linking Beijing and Caracas represent treaties between two "sovereign states and are protected" by both domestic and international law.
China ranks as Venezuela's second-largest trading partner behind the US, with current bilateral commerce totaling approximately $7 billion.
"The so-called US demand is a violation of international law and the sovereignty of Venezuela," Mao stressed.
She charged that the US has "long abused illegal and unilateral sanctions" against Venezuela, causing "tremendous harm to economic and social development."
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the Rodriguez administration had consented to transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the US for sale at market price.
US forces launched widespread airstrikes early Saturday on targets in northern Venezuela, including air defense systems and communications infrastructure, while special operations forces conducted a raid in the capital Caracas to seize the country's President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.
During the first hearing in their trial on drug- and weapons-related charges, both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Trump administration has framed the operation as part of a revived enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine and a crackdown on alleged narco-trafficking and corruption, while also explicitly linking it to securing US influence over Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
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