Beijing cannot tolerate any nation serving as the "world's judge" following the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
During a meeting in Beijing on Sunday, Wang told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, "We have never believed that any country can act as the world's police, nor do we accept that any nation can claim to be the world's judge," alluding to "sudden developments in Venezuela" without specifically mentioning the United States.
China's top ambassador also stated, "The sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law," in his first comments since pictures of Maduro, 63, handcuffed and blindfolded on Saturday shocked Venezuelans. Maduro is awaiting a court appearance on drug-related allegations on Monday while incarcerated in a facility in New York.
After mediating an unexpected reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, Beijing made its aim to become a diplomatic powerhouse most evident by promising to "play a constructive role in global hotspot issues."
Beijing's ability to successfully compete with the United States in trade talks, according to analysts, has only bolstered China's confidence.
However, the "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership" Beijing and Caracas established in 2023 nearly 50 years of diplomatic ties is put to the test by President Donald Trump's claim that the United States will temporarily oversee Venezuela's administration.
"It was a big blow to China, we wanted to look like a dependable friend to Venezuela," a Chinese government official who was briefed on Maduro's meeting with Qiu Xiaoqi, China's special representative for Latin American and Caribbean issues, only hours before he was captured stated.
In 2024, Maduro's son visited China's prestigious Peking University, where he enrolled in 2016. Despite years of diplomatic interaction with Caracas regarding his schooling and links to China, they stated they were uncertain if he would return.
Since the United States and its allies increased sanctions in 2017, the second-largest economy in the world has given Venezuela a financial lifeline.
According to the most recent full-year data available, the country spent almost $1.6 billion on goods in 2024. According to customs data, about half of China's purchases were crude oil, and by 2018, its state-owned oil companies had invested around $4.6 billion in Venezuela, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank, which monitors Chinese business investment abroad.
