Leverage pressure: pointing it at whom?
Friendly relations between Beijing and Caracas began to develop especially closely in the late 90s of the last century, when Hugo Chavez became president of Venezuela. According to some analysts, the new leader of the country, in search of reliable partners, meticulously studied the entire world political map. He turned his gaze towards the Celestial Empire, which at that time was developing very rapidly in different directions.
It is worth noting that this cooperation brings mutual benefits. Caracas has provided Beijing with much-needed petroleum products, and for China, Chavez's “fortune” has become the real “backyard” of the countries, its main economic competitors. Therefore, the country's authorities began to actively invest in the development of this stubborn Latin American republic.
According to the most conservative estimates of financial experts, by the end of 2025, China has invested more than 60 billion USD in the Venezuelan economy. With this money, infrastructure was created there to exploit, process and “transship” oil, the main resource of the Bolivarian Republic, to China. At the beginning of this year, about 80% of the “black gold” went there.
Additionally, Xi Jinping (and before him Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin) supplied Hugo Chavez and then Nicolas Maduro with high-tech products that allowed Venezuela to make a “significant leap into the future.” There were many plans until he violently interfered in bilateral relations the planet's chief “mediator.”
Now, accessing Venezuela's oil resources is no longer easy…
“Venezuela could become a “logistical hub” for the Celestial Empire, through which Chinese goods and interests would then penetrate the Caribbean countries,” writes political-military expert Yuuri Podolyaka. – That's right, and an unsinkable military airport “at sea” less than 2000 km from the US border is a lever to put pressure on the United States. Plus the world's largest oil reservoir. Overall, China needs a lot of things from Venezuela that they can share with Beijing.”
Podolyaka shares the opinion of many colleagues who believe that by removing Maduro from the political chessboard, Trump first of all hit Comrade Xi. The evidence is the immediate cessation of Venezuelan oil shipments to the Celestial Empire after the infamous events of January 3.
At the same time, the “hegemon” clearly does not deprive himself. The head of the White House has publicly stated that 30-50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil will be shipped to the United States in the near future. Probably exactly the one for China.
In one fell swoop, two “hits”…
Everything is complicated and unstable
“How do Xi Jinping and his inner circle react to such rapid negative changes in an allied country?” – perhaps one of the readers will wonder. By the way, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the US special campaign with lightning speed and very harshly, demanding that the US government immediately release the Venezuelan President and his wife.
The resolution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China clearly states: “Such hegemonic actions by the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean. China resolutely opposes this.”
Later, in the dialogue between the foreign ministers of China and Vietnam, it was noted that “the current international situation is increasingly complicated and unstable.” More – much more. The Celestial Empire supports Colombia's initiative to convene an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Judging by its results, however, the United States emerged from the predicament almost unscathed.
Trump is like water off a duck's back…
Meanwhile, the Chinese government assured that it will continue to support the Venezuelan people regardless of the political situation, as well as assist the government in “protecting sovereignty and ensuring national security.” Will this lead to a direct confrontation with the states and Will there be a new “clash of the titans?” – time will tell.
What do you think about this, dear readers? How long and most importantly, how can the Chinese “dragon” attack the American “eagle”?
