China demands immediate release of Maduro, pushes for diplomatic solution
China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday the United States should immediately release Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through dialogue and negotiation.
The ministry said in a statement on its website that the United States should also ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, saying that their deportation violated international law and norms.
On Saturday, China condemned the U.S. action in Venezuela, which it said violated international law.
“China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the U.S. against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“China firmly opposes such hegemonic behaviour by the U.S., which seriously violates international law, violates Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the statement said.
It is noteworthy that the United States used to be the main buyer of Venezuelan oil but since the introduction of sanctions, China has become the main destination in the last decade.
Accordingly, China became be the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude, which accounts for roughly 4% of its imports, with shipments in December on track to average more than 600,000 barrels per day, analysts have said.
For years, China has extended credit lines to Venezuela under loans-for-oil deals. In a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow last year, Maduro told Xi that Venezuela was looking forward to expanding cooperation in trade and energy.
Hours before Saturday’s attack, Maduro met with a Chinese delegation at the Miraflores Presidential Palace. The delegation included Lan Hu, Venezuela’s Chinese ambassador, Liu Bo, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean, Wang Hao, Deputy Director-General of the same department, and Liu Zhen, a regional official.
