China Condemns 'Arbitrary Seizure' of Venezuela's Oil Tankers

“Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries,” stated the Chinese representative.

The Chinese government categorically condemned the arbitrary seizure of tankers carrying Venezuelan oil by the United States, considering this action a serious violation of international law and the basic principles governing relations between states.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the seizure of vessels without authorization from the UN Security Council as an illegitimate unilateral action lacking any international legal basis.

“The arbitrary seizure by the United States of vessels from other countries seriously violates international law,” the diplomat stated, while reiterating Beijing’s consistent position against unilateral coercive measures imposed outside of multilateral mechanisms.

As Lin Jian stated, China “opposes any action that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, infringes upon the sovereignty and security of other countries, and opposes all unilateral intimidation.”

Lin Jian emphasized that Venezuela has the full right to sovereignly develop energy and trade cooperation with other countries and expressed his conviction that the international community understands and supports Caracas in defending its legitimate rights and interests.

China’s reaction comes after US President Donald Trump referred to the Venezuelan government as a “foreign terrorist organization” and announced a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to or from Venezuela. Following these statements, US military forces seized at least three tankers carrying Venezuelan crude oil.

Meanwhile, Trump has openly threatened Venezuela, demanding the return of assets allegedly “stolen” from the United States and announcing military action under the pretext of combating drug trafficking—a narrative that, without evidence, Washington has used to increase its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Since September 2025, the United States has sunk 24 small boats in Caribbean waters with missile strikes, claiming that the passengers were transporting drugs. Over 100 sailors have been unilaterally executed in this manner by US forces. Caracas and other regional actors have repudiated these actions as violations of sovereignty and threats to regional security.

On November 3, Trump asserted that “Nicolás Maduro’s days are numbered,” although, at the same time, he claimed that Washington was not planning a war against Venezuela. The Venezuelan government described these statements as a direct provocation intended to destabilize the region, as well as a violation of international agreements on the demilitarized and non-nuclear nature of the Caribbean.

In this context, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of the sustained increase in tension surrounding Venezuela, an ally of Moscow, and cautioned that unilateral US decisions pose a direct threat to international navigation and regional stability.

US Blockades Venezuela in a War Still Searching for an Official Rationale

(Telesur)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/CB/SL

cborinoco

Freelance Journalist | cameronbaillie7@icloud.com | Website | + posts

Cameron Baillie is an award-winning journalist, editor, and researcher. He won and was shortlisted for awards across Britain and Ireland. He is Editor-in-Chief of New Sociological Perspectives graduate journal and Commissioning Editor at The Student Intifada newsletter. He spent the first half of 2025 living, working, and writing in Ecuador. He does news translation and proofreading work with The Orinoco Tribune.

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