UPDATE - US demand for exclusive oil partnership with Venezuela ‘typical bullying’ act: China

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US demand that Venezuela form an “exclusive partnership” in the oil sector was a “typical bullying” act and a violation of the Latin American nation’s sovereignty, as well as international law, China said Wednesday.

“Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full, permanent sovereignty over its oil resources and economic activities,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

​​​​​​​Beijing’s statement came as ABC News reported that the Trump administration has told Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez it “must meet the White House's demands,” including that Caracas “must agree to partner exclusively with the US on oil production and favor America when selling heavy crude oil.”

The report added that Washington has demanded that Caracas "must kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and sever economic ties."

“The US’ blatant use of force against Venezuela and asking the country to favor America when handling its own oil resources is a typical bullying act, seriously violating international law, and Venezuela’s sovereignty,” said Mao, adding: “China condemns that.”

“Let me stress that China and other countries have legitimate rights in Venezuela, which must be protected,” said Mao.

She said cooperation pacts between Beijing and Caracas are signed between two “sovereign states and are protected” by both domestic and international law.

China is Venezuela's second-largest trade partner after the US, and the current bilateral trade volume is around $7 billion.

“The so-called US demand is a violation of international law and the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Mao stressed.

She added that the US has "long abused illegal and unilateral sanctions" against Venezuela, causing "tremendous harm to economic and social development."

Separately, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the Rodriguez administration had agreed to transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the US for sale at market price.

The US forces launched widespread airstrikes early Saturday on targets in northern Venezuela, including air defense systems and communications infrastructure, while special operations forces conducted a raid in the capital Caracas to capture the country's President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

During the first hearing in their trial in a New York court on drug- and weapons-related charges, both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Trump administration has framed the operation as part of a revived enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine and a crackdown on alleged narco-trafficking and corruption, while also explicitly linking it to securing US influence over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

- 'Common, cooperative security' sustains, not 'carving out sphere of influence'

The Chinese spokeswoman also stressed that "common and cooperative security" sustains, instead of "carving out a sphere of influence," in reaction to the statement of US Department of State that said Western hemisphere is "our hemisphere” and that Trump "will not allow our security to be threatened."

"Carving out a sphere of influence or creating geopolitical confrontation will not make a country safer," but would bring less peace to the world, Mao said.

Regarding Trump's renewed call for a takeover of Greenland for "national security" interests, Mao said that Beijing "always advocates handling state-to-state relations in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."