BEIJING: China always opposes the use or threat of force, as well as any imposition of one country’s will on another, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday when speaking of the situation in Venezuela, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding the Seventh Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
Wang said the current international situation is more volatile and intertwined, with unilateral bullying becoming increasingly severe.
The sudden change of situation in Venezuela has drawn high attention from the international community, Wang said.
“We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge,” Wang said, adding that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected by international law.
Following the US’ large-scale strike against Venezuela and its seizing of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and their transfer out of the country, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday that the US’ move is in clear violation of international law, basic norms of international relations, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela, and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation, the spokesperson said. In the hours prior to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement, multiple countries already voiced their positions via official channels in response to the US’ military strike and its seizing of Maduro and his wife. Opposition within the US itself was also formidable, with demonstrations planned in over 100 cities, media outlets reported.
Experts said that the US moves constitutes a typical example of hegemonic unilateralism and delivers a systemic shock to the international order, noting that such action accelerates the fragmentation of the international legal system and deepens the global trust deficit in the rule of international law.
Maduro arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after he was brought by helicopter to Manhattan, New York City. He was escorted to the facility by a motorcade of law enforcement vehicles, according to law enforcement officials, CNN News reported.
In a video posted by the White House’s official rapid response account on X on Sunday, Maduro was seen handcuffed as he was escorted by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in New York. The tweet was accompanied by the text: “Perp walked.”
As Maduro was taken inside the US drug agency office, he offered calm New Year greetings to DEA officers escorting him. The Venezuelan President said, “Good night, Happy New Year,” to those accompanying him.
In another circulated clip, shared by Russia’s RT News, Maduro was seen walking past the camera as he got out of a truck shortly after landing in New York. Noticing the camera, he flashed a peace sign.
Maduro and his wife could appear in court in Manhattan as early as Monday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US would “run” Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro’s seizing, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries, per AP News.
“The supermarkets are crowded.” resident José described Caracas on the first day after the US raid on Venezuela in one sentence. “Most people are hiding at home, afraid of a possible second attack. Some are constantly on their phones, anxiously sharing messages.”
Another resident from the capital city shared similar observation. He told the Global Times that many Venezuelans are now thinking the same thing: “What if food supplies run out tomorrow?”
He also queued at a gas station, “There is still fuel available today, but who knows if there will be gasoline tomorrow amid this panic.”
The US seizing of Maduro has made headlines in media outlets worldwide, with some European newspapers—including The Observer—devoting their entire front page to the story. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
