Venezuela Archives - Friends of Socialist China

China backs Venezuela, condemns US at UN Security Council

China has condemned the US threats to and aggression against Venezuela and reaffirmed its support for the government of President Maduro.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council Briefing held on December 23, 2025, Ambassador Sun Lei began by stating that China appreciates Slovenia’s presidency for convening the emergency meeting requested by Venezuela and supported by Russia, China, and other countries.

He stated that: “For some time now, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, the United States has continued to increase its military deployment in the waters of the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. It has escalated sanctions, blockades, and military threats against Venezuela and claimed to have sunk Venezuelan vessels, shot dead crew members, and seized oil tankers. It has designated the Venezuelan Government as a foreign terrorist organisation, claimed that Venezuela’s territory, oil, and assets belong to the United States, and even threatened military strikes against the Venezuelan territory.

“The US actions seriously infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests, seriously violate the UN Charter and international law, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The Chinese representative went on to note that: “As an independent sovereign state, Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and defend its legitimate rights and interest, which should be respected and supported by the international community. China opposes all acts of unilateralism and bullying and supports all countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity. We stand against any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and infringes upon other countries’ sovereignty and security, against the threat or use of force in international relations, against external interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext, and against illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorisation by the Security Council.”

The following is the full text of Ambassador Sun Lei’s remarks. They were originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

President,

China appreciates Slovenia’s presidency for convening this emergency meeting requested by Venezuela and supported by Russia, China, and other countries. We thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing.

For some time now, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, the United States has continued to increase its military deployment in the waters of the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. It has escalated sanctions, blockades, and military threats against Venezuela and claimed to have sunk Venezuelan vessels, shot dead crew members, and seized oil tankers. It has designated the Venezuelan Government as a foreign terrorist organization, claimed that Venezuela’s territory, oil, and assets belong to the United States, and even threatened military strikes against the Venezuelan territory. The US actions and rhetoric have led to continued tensions in the region, raising serious concerns among regional countries and the international community.

The UN Charter establishes the fundamental principles of governing international relations, including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and peaceful settlement of disputes. They constitute the cornerstone of international rule of law and are crucial for maintaining world peace and security. The US actions seriously infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests, seriously violate the UN Charter and international law, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean. More and more countries in the region and beyond have voiced their grave concern about and strong condemnation of the US actions. We note that Secretary-General Guterres has clearly stated the need for all countries to respect international law and the UN Charter, exercise restraint, and deescalate tensions to preserve regional stability, and his readiness for good offices to this end.

China attaches importance to President Maduro’s recent open letter. As an independent sovereign state, Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and defend its legitimate rights and interest, which should be respected and supported by the international community. China opposes all acts of unilateralism and bullying, and supports all countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity. We stand against any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and infringes upon other countries’ sovereignty and security, against the threat or use of force in international relations, against external interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext, and against illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorization by the Security Council. We call the United States to heed the just call of the international community, immediately halt relevant actions, and avoid further escalation of tensions. We urge the United States to uphold the navigation safety of regional countries and the freedom and rights they enjoy under international law, to conduct normal law enforcement and judicial cooperation under bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks, to lift illicit unilateral sanctions, and to do more to promote peace, stability, and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

President,

Latin America and the Caribbean constitute an important part of the Global South and are a vital force in maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity. China recently released its third policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean, reaffirming its support for the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and the Declaration of the Member States of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. This fully demonstrates the high importance attached to and the support by China for the region. China stands ready to work with countries in the region to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, uphold fairness and justice, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Thank you, President.

Nicolás Maduro commemorates the birth of Mao Zedong

On Friday 26 December, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro marked the birth anniversary of Chairman Mao with a message on his official Telegram channel.

Attached to the message is a video in which President Maduro elaborates on the historic importance of the Chinese Revolution and China’s role in the world. The video transcript (translated to English by us) reads as follows:

Our tribute to the Great Helmsman Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China, who, through his example, his ideas, and the revolutionary struggle he led, undoubtedly shaped the 20th century worldwide and marked the future of China. The 21st century is the century in which the destiny of humanity, as President Xi Jinping says, must be characterised by the common destiny of humanity.

Only the great republic founded by the great Mao Zedong, the great Helmsman, was able to bring China and the entire Chinese people together, enabling them to establish a political model that has allowed for the development and expansion of productive forces, and has managed to transform China in just 50 or 60 years from a semi-feudal country to a country with the highest level of scientific, technological, cultural, economic, financial and commercial development in the world.

A powerful culture and a powerful revolution, the revolution of the Great Helmsman, who founded the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949.

One must study the epic journey of the Chinese people and how the Great Helmsman, Mao Zedong, together with the Communist Party of China and the People’s Liberation Army, managed to forge the greatest national alliance in Chinese history.

We share the same values, the historic values of the great Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping, Simón Bolívar and Hugo Chávez. So we are united in soul, spirit and values.

Below you will find the text of the Telegram message (translated to English by us) and the associated video.

We celebrate the birthday of Mao Zedong, one of the giants of the 20th century. His genius in strategy and the formation of a revolutionary army of workers and peasants demonstrated that peoples can defeat empires. His legacy taught us that: “Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive one; the decisive factor is man and not things”. This strategic vision was the cornerstone for the victory and liberation of the Chinese people.

Thanks to leaderships like that of Mao, China has regained its power, transforming itself into a superpower of knowledge, education and technology, and restoring dignity to a nation. Mao’s figure represents rebellion and the construction of a sovereign project, elements that inspire our homeland in the defence of its own sovereignty and independence.

China backs Venezuela’s call for emergency session of UN Security Council

On the same day as US President Donald Trump declared a “total and complete” blockade of Venezuela and brazenly threatened to seize the country’s land and oil (Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yván Gil at the latter’s request.

Gil stressed that the Venezuelan government and people will firmly safeguard the country’s sovereignty and independence, resolutely defend their legitimate rights and interests, and will not accept threats from any bullying power.

Wang said that that mutual trust and support are a longstanding tradition of China-Venezuela relations. China opposes all forms of unilateral bullying and supports countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and national dignity.

The following day, December 18, at the regular Foreign Ministry press conference in Beijing, spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed China’s support for Venezuela’s call for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation. In response to questions from the Japanese broadcaster NHK and the Reuters news agency, he stated:

“China opposes all acts of unilateralism and bullying and supports countries in defending their sovereignty and national dignity. Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. We believe the international community can understand and support Venezuela’s stance of protecting its own legitimate rights and interests. China supports Venezuela’s request for holding an emergency session of the UN Security Council.”

The following article was originally published by Global Times.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, at the latter’s request, according to a readout published by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Gil briefed Wang on the current domestic situation in Venezuela, stressing that the Venezuelan government and people will firmly safeguard the country’s sovereignty and independence, resolutely defend their legitimate rights and interests, and will not accept threats from any bullying power.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that China and Venezuela are strategic partners, and that mutual trust and support are a longstanding tradition of China-Venezuela relations. China opposes all forms of unilateral bullying and supports countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and national dignity.

Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, and it is believed that the international community understands and supports Venezuela’s position in defending its own legitimate rights and interests, said Wang.

CPC reiterates solidarity with Venezuela

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has reiterated its solidarity with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and with the revolutionary government of President Maduro.

Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met on November 26 with Remigio Ceballos, the Venezuelan Ambassador to China.

Liu said, in recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Nicolas Maduro, China-Venezuela relations have continuously reached new heights. China will, as always, firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty and independence, oppose external interference and support Venezuela in independently choosing its development path. The CPC and the PSUV share similar ideals and goals.

The Chinese side is willing to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in party building and state governance, enhance exchanges at all levels, promote cooperation in areas such as cadre training, and increase coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, so as to advance the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Venezuela through inter-party channels.

Ceballos said, the governments, political parties and people of Venezuela and China maintain a brotherly friendship. Venezuela firmly supports China’s position on the Taiwan question and the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity and the Belt and Road cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping. No matter how the international situation changes, Venezuela will continue to uphold and fulfill its firm commitment to developing friendly relations with China and is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade, energy and education. The Embassy of Venezuela in China is willing to actively promote exchanges and cooperation between the ruling parties of the two countries.

The following article was first published on the website of the IDCPC.

Beijing, November 26th—Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Remigio Ceballos, Venezuelan Ambassador to China.

Xi Jinping: China categorically rejects interference by external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs

The United States is once again steering dangerously toward an illegal war, this time in Latin America. Over the past two months Washington has been engaged in a military buildup around Venezuela, launching lethal strikes in international waters, dispatching its most advanced aircraft carrier, and openly weighing plans for direct attacks on Venezuelan territory. It is the largest US military concentration in the region in decades.

The arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, along with three destroyers and more than 5,500 troops, has heightened fears of imminent assault. The Ford joins roughly 10,000 US troops already stationed in the region. Ostensibly, these deployments are to counter drug trafficking, but Washington has provided zero evidence to substantiate any such threat.

Since early September, US forces have carried out at least 19 airstrikes, killing nearly a hundred people on boats in international waters. These attacks have been widely denounced as being extrajudicial killings and blatant violations of international law.

President Trump said on 16 November that he wouldn’t rule out sending US troops to Venezuela, essentially to carry out a regime change operation. “I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”

China on the other hand has taken a consistently clear and principled stand, continuing to develop its bilateral cooperation with Venezuela and roundly condemning the US’s “unilateral and excessive enforcement operations”, stressing that these violate international law and the UN Charter. China has urged the US to return to proper judicial cooperation frameworks rather than acting as a self-appointed global policeman. In contrast to Washington’s coercion, China’s position rests on respect for sovereignty and international law, and an orientation towards peace.

Palestine, Venezuela and China, united in the struggle against imperialism

The following is the text of a speech given by Russel Harland, representing Friends of Socialist China’s Britain Committee, at an event held on 15 November at Bolívar Hall in London on the theme Viva Venezuela: stand against fascism, imperialism and war.

Russel argues that the world is entering a historic period of crisis and transformation marked by imperialist violence, economic oppression, and popular resistance. Drawing a line from colonialism to contemporary neoliberalism, he cites the genocide in Gaza as the culmination of imperialism’s lawless depravity, enabled by the complicity of Western governments, including that of Britain.

The speech links Palestine’s struggle against colonial oppression to US attempts to impose regime change on Venezuela, driven by its socialist orientation, its natural resources, and its close friendly relations with China and other countries that refuse to bend to US diktat. In general, the crises we are witnessing form part of the West’s response to the global multipolar shift, driven in large part by China’s rise – a “megatrend” that Western elites increasingly openly cannot prevent or reverse.

The speech concludes that defending working class interests in Britain requires supporting sovereignty and anti-imperialist struggles globally as part of a revolutionary moment demanding systemic change.

Dear friends and comrades,

It is a pleasure to speak with you today as a representative of Friends of Socialist China during what are terrifyingly dangerous times.

From the Monroe Doctrine to the Opium Wars, to the Balfour Declaration and beyond, oppressed and working-class people globally have faced a unified war of subjugation by the forces of capitalism, colonialism and imperialism. Ordinary people around the world have been dehumanised, demonised, oppressed and repressed, and their scope for economic development has been systematically constrained.¹

Yet in the decaying world of neo-liberalism, capitalism’s most brutal guise², the ongoing genocide in Gaza has propelled imperialists to the zenith of their lawless depravity. This is a watershed moment that corresponds with the Communist Party of China’s statement in its new Five-Year Plan, that “internationally, momentous changes of a magnitude not seen in a century are unfolding across the world at a faster pace”.

China has consolidated itself as a true friend and a beacon of light for sovereign peoples

Wilfredo Hernández Maya, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, was among the members of the diplomatic corps in London who extended greetings in the opening rally of our 2025 second annual conference, held on Saturday, September 27.

Gathered in Bolívar Hall, he noted that, “your presence in this space, which bears the name of our Liberator, Simón Bolívar, is deeply meaningful: it unites the memory of the struggles for independence with today’s commitment to building a fairer, more supportive and multipolar world.”

“Today, through its clear international leadership, China offers us pathways of progress, cooperation and development in a world where traditional hegemonic powers seek to impose their will on our peoples through violence, imperialism, and a supremacist and racist vision.”

We are pleased to publish Comrade Wilfredo’s speech below.

Dear friends,

On behalf of Ambassador Félix Plasencia González and the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela, I extend to you all a fraternal word of welcome to our Bolívar Hall, which today is honoured to open its doors once again to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, together with Friends of Socialist China, as well as representatives of solidarity movements and the diplomatic corps of brotherly nations present here.

Allow me to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to Friends of Socialist China for choosing Bolívar Hall once more as the venue for this important gathering. Your presence in this space, which bears the name of our Liberator, Simón Bolívar, is deeply meaningful: it unites the memory of the struggles for independence with today’s commitment to building a fairer, more supportive and multipolar world.

We also wish to give special thanks to the friendly embassies and solidarity movements whose steadfast commitment accompanies us in the defence of sovereignty, the self-determination of peoples and respect for international law. Your support and friendship stand as testimony that our causes are shared, and that international cooperation founded on mutual respect is not only possible but essential.

Dear comrades,

In this year, when we mark both the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism, we must remember the millions of men and women who gave their lives in the struggle against imperialist barbarism. That achievement was more than a military triumph: it represented the affirmation of the dignity of all humanity and the birth of a new hope. The brave Chinese people rose from the ruins and, through sacrifice, wrote one of the most glorious chapters in world history.

Venezuela recognises in that epic struggle the spiritual strength that continues to inspire the Chinese Revolution, today a beacon of sovereignty and social justice for its people and for the world. The People’s Republic of China, with its renewed and robust global leadership, now puts forward proposals of great meaning and potential for humanity, such as the Global Governance Initiative presented by President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, held in Tianjin this year.

This new international project complements the three initiatives previously advanced by China: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. Together, they point towards building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, in full harmony with Venezuela’s Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace and with our vision of a balanced world order, based on the sovereign equality of States, respect for international law, genuine multilateralism, and a focus on the wellbeing of peoples.