![\"116147_ChinaVenezuela_THUMBv2.00_00_21_26.Still002.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/116147-chinavenezuela-thumbv2-00-00-21-26-still002.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Why China is watching Venezuela closely\n <\/p>\n
Why China is watching Venezuela closely<\/p>\n
01:09 <\/p>\n
\n China and Venezuela have maintained close relations for decades, forged by a shared political ideology and mutual distrust of a world led by the US.\n <\/p>\n
\n The bulk of Venezuelan oil exports flow to China, and Chinese companies finance extensive infrastructure projects and investments across the country, with Beijing lending billions to Caracas in recent decades.\n <\/p>\n
\n Trump\u2019s move has appeared to upend that relationship, at least for now, raising questions over China\u2019s preferential access to Venezuelan oil and the future of its political and economic influence in the wider region.\n <\/p>\n
\n Chinese social media has erupted with discussion of the implications. If the US can snatch a leader in its backyard, many ask, why can\u2019t China do the same? By late Monday, topics linked to Trump\u2019s capture of Maduro had received more than 650 million impressions<\/a> on Weibo, with many users suggesting it could offer a template for Beijing\u2019s potential military takeover of Taiwan.\n <\/p>\n \n But Beijing has struck a different tone in public statements. It has denounced Maduro\u2019s capture, condemning Washington for behaving like the world\u2019s policeman, and calling for the ousted leader\u2019s immediate release.\n <\/p>\n