China This Week | China’s reaction to Venezuela crisis, and Pak-China foreign ministers’ meeting

The Chinese government has reacted to the events that unfolded in Venezuela over the weekend, with the United States military’s attack on the capital, Caracas, and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. A day later, photos showed a handcuffed Maduro surrounded by security personnel in a detention facility in New York.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday (January 5), “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.” Chinese state media websites also prominently displayed stories about Venezuela, including condemnations and the possible impact on China’s growing ties with South American nations.

An editorial in the Communist Party paper Global Times described the scenes in Venezuela as “a scenario so outrageous that even Hollywood screenwriters would struggle to imagine it,” and called the events a “vivid reflection of US-style hegemony overriding multilateralism.”

The other major story of the week from China was a three-day visit by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for the Seventh Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.

The US attack was predicated on charges of “narco-terrorism”, for which a New York court had indicted Maduro. It identified him as a central figure in the illegal trafficking of drugs to the United States. However, as Trump himself said, the country’s oil resources were the key reason for the American actions.

China joined in the criticism based on grounds of international law, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating their firm opposition to actions infringing upon other countries’ sovereignty and security. He added that China and Latin America are good friends and partners, and the continent’s countries have the right to independently choose their development paths and partners.

UPSHOT: The Chinese spokesperson’s comments refer to China’s growing presence in the continent, which has been traditionally under the US sphere of influence. State media reported that China-Latin America trade volume reached a record high of $518.47 billion in 2024, and China is the largest trading partner of South American countries.

Bilateral trade includes agricultural goods such as soybeans, for which China has reduced its dependence on the US by turning to Brazil. It has initiated huge infrastructure projects under the flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), like the $3.5 billion port in Chancay, Peru. China is also looking for deals to extract South America’s mineral wealth.

For example, it has interests in the “lithium triangle”, a region that spans Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. It has some of the largest reserves of the metal — essential for producing batteries that power electric vehicles. China was also a major buyer of Venezuelan oil.

This has happened alongside heightened diplomatic activity. A report by the European Parliamentary Research Service noted that “In 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his sixth visit to the region since 2013. Between 2013 and 2024, he visited the region more frequently than Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden combined.” Maduro’s capture also happened hours after a Chinese official delegation met him to reaffirm their support for the regime.

Under the second term of US President Donald Trump, a renewed American interest in the region after years of a reduced role indicates efforts to manage the China factor. Soon after the Venezuela action, Trump also warned Mexico, Cuba and Colombia. How this impacts China’s role in the region remains to be seen. Already, it is clear that despite these ties, China will not directly intervene when the US displays its military dominance — something also witnessed during its attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2025.

Another aspect that links to China is the Taiwan issue. Some analysts see the US action as setting a precedent, where a big power attacking a smaller nation becomes justified simply based on the “might is right” principle, with little regard for international law.

However, another view is that it points to a shift in Trump’s stance, when he said during his election campaign that he would stop the US from engaging in “endless wars.” Despite his reluctance to put US troops on the ground, it could indicate that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan may see a strong response from the US.

Dar was in Beijing for the latest round of a mechanism established in 2018, to increase dialogue between the foreign ministers.

Among other things, the Joint Press Communiqué had the two sides reiterate “that China and Pakistan are All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partners enjoying ironclad friendship and strategic mutual trust.”

“The two sides agreed to further align their development plans and priorities, and build an upgraded version 2.0 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a pioneering project of Belt and Road Initiative.” The project has been mentioned several times in the past, with aims ranging from industrial cooperation to new Special Economic Zones (SEZs), but concrete progress has been slow, and the CPEC itself is mired in problems.

The two countries also announced the launch of commemorative activities in 2026, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan.

UPSHOT: Pakistan and China have developed close economic, defence and diplomatic ties over the decades, with over $62 billion invested just in the CPEC.

Pakistan’s recent economic woes and longstanding security challenges, such as terror attacks on Chinese workers engaged in CPEC projects, have placed some limitations on the growth of the relationship. Some reports have also noted the displeasure of the Pakistani business community, for alleged unfair advantages being granted to Chinese firms in projects like the CPEC.

Despite these challenges, and the fact that Pakistan continues to cultivate strong ties with the US, the relationship endures owing to the primacy of their common strategic aim of balancing India in South Asia.