Beijing denounces U.S. “intimidation” in asking Caracas to break with China
EFE (via 14ymedio), Beijing, January 7, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has informed Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, that the country must comply with ending relations with Cuba, China, Russia, and Iran as part of a series of demands before extracting and marketing its oil, according to officials cited by The ABC network.
According to one of the officials quoted by the network, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a private briefing with lawmakers that the U.S. believes it can pressure Caracas because its oil tankers are full, and warned that Venezuela would have only a couple of weeks before falling into financial insolvency if it fails to sell its reserves.
In an interview with ABC News, Senator Roger Wicker confirmed that the plan is based on control of Venezuelan oil and said it does not contemplate the deployment of U.S. troops.
So far, Venezuela, provisionally led by Rodríguez, has not issued any official statement regarding the demand put forward by Trump.
Delcy Rodríguez has not issued any official statement regarding the demand put forward by Trump.
In response on Wednesday, from Beijing, China denounced what it described as “intimidation” by the U.S. in demanding that Venezuela break its economic relations with Beijing, and affirmed that the South American country is a sovereign state with full control over its natural resources.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that Venezuela “is a sovereign country and enjoys full and permanent sovereignty over its natural resources and all economic activities within its territory,” when asked about reports published by the U.S. network ABC News regarding alleged demands from Washington to Caracas.
She described the alleged pressure as a “blatant use of force” and maintained that the attempt to have Venezuela dispose of its energy
resources according to a “United States first” approach constitutes “a typical case of intimidation” that “seriously violates international law, gravely infringes Venezuela’s sovereignty,” and “harms the rights of the Venezuelan people.”
“It seriously infringes Venezuela’s sovereignty” and “harms the rights of the Venezuelan people.”
“China firmly condemns this behavior,” the spokeswoman emphasized, adding that “it must be stressed that the legitimate rights and interests of China and of other countries in Venezuela must be protected.”
The spokeswoman also reiterated Beijing’s position in defense of economic cooperation among sovereign states and stressed that China “has always carried out exchanges and cooperation with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit.”
Her remarks come amid growing international tension following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the U.S. and in the midst of an intense diplomatic debate over the legality of the use of force and the management of Venezuelan energy resources.
Translated by Regina Anavy
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.