China has immediately responded to the latest US aggression against Venezuela and its brigandish and gangster-like kidnapping, in blatant violation of international law, of the country’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro.
On Saturday January 3, in a statement issued prior to confirmation of President Maduro’s arrival in New York, a foreign ministry spokesperson said that China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, adding:
“Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region.”
The next day, in a further statement, the Foreign Ministry said that China called on the United States to immediaetely release Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
“China calls on the United States to ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela, and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.”
Also, on Sunday January 4, the issue was directly addressed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
When holding the Seventh Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing, Wang Yi said that China always opposes the use or threat of force, as well as any imposition of one country’s will on another.
“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,” Wang said, adding that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected by international law.
China is willing to work with the international community, including Pakistan, to firmly uphold the United Nations Charter, maintain the bottom line of international morality, adhere to the equality of all countries’ sovereignty, and jointly safeguard world peace and development and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
On China-Pakistan relations, Wang said China hopes this visit will kick off the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Both sides agreed to unite the Global South to safeguard common interests, uphold the UN Charter, and oppose bullying acts that violate the sovereignty of other countries.
On January 3, the Xinhua News Agency issued a commentary entitled, ‘Venezuela strike shows who is really undermining the International law’. It said:
“The US military incursion into Venezuela and the action against its President, Nicolás Maduro, as announced by the US administration, once again lays bare Washington’s reliance on unilateral force to shape outcomes beyond its borders. This aggression also hollows out decades of US rhetoric positioning America as the guardian of international rules.
“Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, a foundational principle of international law, explicitly prohibits the use or threat of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Therefore, the action against a sovereign nation’s leader has shown the world, unequivocally, who stands as the true transgressor of international law.
“History offers ample precedent. From Iraq and Libya to Panama and Grenada, the United States has repeatedly used or threatened force under dubious justifications… Venezuela, long subjected to sanctions and political pressure, now joins that list, with diplomacy once again sidelined in favor of military coercion.”
Continue reading China strongly condemns US aggression against Venezuela, kidnapping of President Maduro