China said the US is violating international law through its seizures of oil tankers in the waters off Venezuela, underscoring the global ripple effects of Washington’s campaign against Caracas.
Most Venezuelan crude is typically shipped on shadow tankers to China, according to OilPrice.com, but the US’ “blockade” on sanctioned vessels around Venezuela cuts off that lifeline for President Nicolás Maduro.
Washington and Beijing are jockeying for influence in Latin America, and a potential US invasion of Venezuela would mark a setback for China and its business interests. But Beijing would likely not offer Caracas any support beyond rhetorical condemnation and might privately view Maduro’s fall “as the shedding of dead weight,” an expert wrote in UnHerd.