Beijing rejects US statements about "closed" airspace and views Washington's moves as a colonial threat and a violation of international legitimacy.
The geopolitical confrontation of the great powers in Latin America is escalating, with China and Russia raising a protective wall in Venezuela against the aggression of the Americans under the presidency of Donald Trump.
China rejected the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Venezuela's airspace is "completely closed," characterizing the American stance as a "colonial threat" that targets Venezuela's national sovereignty and is contrary to international law and UN principles.
The current US policy seeks to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to step down. Maduro bases cooperation with Beijing on the ideological convergence of the two countries. As Modern Diplomacy emphasizes in its analysis, from Washington's perspective, Trump considers the removal of Maduro and the establishment of a pro-American democratic regime in Latin America would be a major success, given that previous presidents of Venezuela—led by Hugo Chávez—systematically limited American influence. During the Chávez era, Venezuela used its vast natural resources to strengthen ties with Washington's rivals, while Chinese banks loaned billions to Venezuela in exchange for future oil deliveries.
Multifaceted US pressure and Russia-China support for Caracas
To achieve the weakening of the Maduro regime, Washington is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy that combines economic sanctions, military escalation, and clandestine intelligence operations. The support of Russia and China for Venezuela is, however, impeding the success of this plan.
Trump has linked the Maduro government to criminal networks and has permitted the CIA to conduct secret operations within Venezuela aimed at its overthrow. On November 24, 2015, the US designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, claiming that Maduro and top officials lead the network. Venezuela rejected these accusations as a "horrific lie" and a pretext for illegal interference in its internal affairs.
Simultaneously, the US is intensifying its naval presence near Venezuela's maritime borders, ostensibly to combat drug trafficking. These operations are, in practice, an indirect means of restricting the growing Chinese influence in Caracas.
Escalation of American military presence
The US recently increased its presence on the Venezuelan border under the pretext of tackling drug trafficking. Furthermore, Trump revived the "Foreign Enemies Act," which had been used during World War II to detain Japanese, Germans, and Italians in the US—this time targeting the mass detention and deportation of Venezuelans.
In Beijing, politicians, intelligence agencies, and analysts believe that Trump is weaponizing the anti-drug campaign in Latin America to undermine Chinese interests in Latin America and the Caribbean. China views the new American doctrine as an attempt to purge the "American backyard" of Chinese influence.
Beijing denounces American sanctions and stresses the need to respect sovereignty
The accumulation of American warships, drones, and military personnel off Venezuela prompted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take a stance. Spokesperson Mao Ning stressed that Beijing opposes any foreign interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, condemning the new American sanctions as "illegal and unilateral" and calling for their immediate lifting. She underscored that sanctions without a UN Security Council mandate violate international law and urged all sides to avoid provocative actions.
Venezuela's strategic alliances and Chinese concern
Venezuela has turned to alliances with Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba, attempting to counter American pressure. The increased US presence in Latin America, under the guise of combating drug trafficking, is causing concern in Beijing. Chinese rhetoric is sharpening as Washington adopts more interventionist policies.
China may take on a mediating role to de-escalate the crisis, in a stance reminiscent of the USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, the most likely scenario is the continuation of support for Venezuela against American pressure.
Chinese involvement in Venezuela takes many forms: "oil for loans" agreements, management of oil fields by Chinese companies, lending by Chinese banks, and continuous support in the Security Council. This support has limited the impact of American sanctions and has allowed the Maduro regime to survive. China also maintains a strong diplomatic presence, denouncing any unilateral US action and believing that Washington cannot forcibly expel Chinese or Russian influence from Latin America.
The revival of the Monroe Doctrine and American strategic redesign
To counter Chinese penetration, Trump resurrected the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, treating Latin America as the "American backyard." His plan, Redrawing the World (2025), envisions control of Latin American supply chains as a necessary prerequisite for US economic security.
Beijing rejects any foreign interference in Venezuela and seeks to prevent the crisis from turning into a direct American-Venezuelan conflict that would endanger Chinese interests. China's strategy relies mainly on economic and diplomatic means: generous financial support for Caracas, investment protection, and the deconstruction of unilateral American sanctions, without provoking a direct military confrontation. China, thus, attempts to manage the crisis in a way that ensures stability, its own influence, and the prevention of a dangerous geopolitical derailment.
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