China backs Venezuela call for UN Security Council meeting amid US pressure

ISTANBUL

China on Thursday voiced support for Venezuela’s request to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, as tensions escalate amid mounting US pressure on Caracas.

“China supports Venezuela’s request to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing.

Guo said China “opposes all forms of unilateral bullying and supports countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and national dignity,” according to the Beijing-based daily Global Times.

“Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries,” he said, adding that China “believes the international community understands and supports Venezuela’s position in defending its legitimate rights and interests.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday about the rising regional tensions.

Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s position “on the need for member states to respect international law, particularly the UN Charter, exert restraint and de-escalate tensions to preserve regional stability,” according to a UN statement.

Over the past four months, US forces have maintained a growing military presence in the Caribbean, carrying out strikes against vessels accused of drug trafficking, though no evidence has been publicly released. US President Donald Trump has also said the US military could conduct land strikes on Venezuelan territory.

The standoff escalated further last week when US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an act Caracas branded “international piracy.”