Beijing’s Awkward Hours Before Trump FBI Raid

Hours before US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, he was meeting with Beijing’s special envoy for Latin American affairs, praising the ties between Venezuela and China.

Maduro’s Meeting with Chinese Envoy

“I thank President Xi Jinping for his continued brotherhood, like an older brother,” Maduro told Chinese diplomat Qiu Xiaoqi, according to CNN, as the pair exchanged gifts at the Miraflores Palace.

The encounter was documented on Maduro’s social media accounts. Shortly after, images circulated showing Maduro shackled and blindfolded aboard a US warship, bound for a New York courtroom on narco-conspiracy charges, where he declared himself a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war”.

China’s Reaction and Concerns

Beijing responded with “stunned outrage,” denouncing Washington as acting as “the world’s cop gone rogue.” With US President Donald Trump vowing to temporarily “run” Venezuela and take control of its oil reserves, Chinese state media have characterized this as an example of US imperialism.

Legal scholars have argued the US action likely violates international law. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that no country can act as “the world’s police.”

Dylan Loh, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, says the strike is a reminder of US military power to China’s leadership.

“This was a clear demonstration of American might: Trump can and will act decisively and kinetically, and I think this will worry Zhongnanhai,” Loh said, referring to the center of China’s political leadership.

Economic and Geopolitical Implications

Maduro’s removal poses economic complications for Beijing. China is a major buyer of Venezuelan oil, but it accounts for only about 4-5 per cent of China’s total oil imports. There is also uncertainty about the recovery of roughly $US12 billion in outstanding loans owed to China.

The incident raises questions about the Taiwan equation. The US strike on Venezuela has revived debate about whether Beijing could use it to justify its “reunification” agenda with Taiwan.

Many China analysts do not believe the Venezuela incursion will impact Beijing’s long-term plans for Taiwan. Bonnie Glaser, an Indo-Pacific expert at the German Marshall Fund, believes Maduro’s capture is “not a blueprint for Chinese takeover of Taiwan.”