TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - China and Spain have opposed the US' intention to seize Venezuelan oil following the abduction of its president, Nicolas Maduro.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed objection because the US is attempting to obtain 30 to 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.
"Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic activities," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.
According to Mao Ning, United States' blatant use of force against Venezuela with regard to its oil reserves "seriously breaches international law, infringes on Venezuela’s sovereignty, and violates the rights of the Venezuelan people."
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that the interim authorities of Venezuela had agreed to hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the US.
Trump stated that the oil would be sold at market prices, and the proceeds "will be controlled by me as President of the United States of America" to ensure beneficial use for the people of Venezuela and the US.
Based on data from Venezuela's national oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the country exported 952,000 barrels per day in November 2025, before the US military blockade that began in December 2025.
Of that amount, 778,000 barrels were sent to China, giving Beijing a 81.7 percent share of Venezuela's oil exports.
Venezuela's daily oil production in 2025 was known to be around 1.1 million barrels per day, a sharp decrease from the production in the 1970s which reached 3.5 million barrels of oil per day due to governance issues, lack of infrastructure investment, and the impact of sanctions.
Venezuelan oil contributes about 4 percent of China's total oil imports, mostly sourced from countries in the Middle East, as well as Russia.
"The cooperation between China and Venezuela is the cooperation between two sovereign states and is under protection of international law and relevant laws. The lawful rights and interests of China in Venezuela must be protected," added Mao Ning.
Mao Ning further expressed that the US has long been unilaterally imposing illegal sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry and openly using force against Venezuela recently.
"This has dealt a severe blow to the economic and social order in Venezuela and threatened the stability of global industrial and supply chains. China has strongly condemned this," Mao Ning stated.
Trump also mentioned that he had instructed US Energy Secretary Chris Wright to promptly carry out the plan.
According to him, the oil will be transported using storage ships and directly sent to unloading docks in the United States.
Earlier on Monday, Trump stated that American oil companies are keen to work in Venezuela and are ready to invest in the Latin American country's infrastructure.
Venezuela itself has the world's largest proven oil reserves, estimated at around 303 billion barrels, accounting for approximately 17 percent of the global proven reserves.
According to the American Enterprise Institute, China has invested US$2.1 billion in Venezuela's oil industry since 2016.
Morgan Stanley's data shows that the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) holds a stake in a consortium with concessions covering 1.6 billion barrels of oil, while China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) holds a stake covering 2.8 billion barrels.
Several private Chinese companies also maintain large-scale investments in oil extraction.
During Maduro's visit to China in 2023, bilateral relations were elevated to a "strategic partnership under all circumstances," and Maduro sought Beijing's support for Venezuela's participation in the developing BRICS bloc.
However, on January 3, 2025, the US launched a major attack on Venezuela, abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and bringing them to New York. Both were tried on Monday for alleged involvement in drug terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine and were considered threats, including to the US.
The Trump administration described the operation as part of the enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine and an effort to combat alleged drug trafficking and corruption, as well as to strengthen US influence over Venezuela's massive oil reserves.
Spanish's Objection
Separately, the Spanish government stated that Venezuela's natural resources belong to the Venezuelan people and warned that any attempt to weaken the sovereignty of the country would create a dangerous precedent for the rules-based international order.
In an interview with RNE as quoted by Anadolu, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares emphasized that control over natural resources is a core element of sovereignty and must be respected.
Natural resources "belong to the Venezuelan people," Albares said, arguing that they are "part of a state's sovereignty."
He said that what happened in Caracas in the last few days is "a very dangerous precedent" for international norms, warning that undermining sovereignty over natural resources could destabilize global relations.
Albares reiterated Spain's opposition to the use of violence or external interference in Venezuela, emphasizing Madrid's support for a peaceful and democratic outcome driven by the Venezuelan people themselves.
He emphasized that Spain's approach in Latin America is to act as a bridge between actors, rather than to further escalate tensions.
Albares also warned against any attempt to change borders by force, firmly rejecting rhetoric suggesting the possibility of US steps to seize Greenland, and expressing full solidarity with Denmark.
“Territories do not change hands capriciously,” Albares said, stressing: “There is a Greenlandic people who have clearly expressed their will and have the right to decide.”
He underscored Spain's support for Denmark, adding that respect for sovereignty and the rule of law must remain non-negotiable principles in international relations.
Speaking from a broader European perspective, Albares called for a "moral rearmament" and a decisive leap towards greater political, economic, and strategic sovereignty for the European Union in the face of increasing global challenges, from the war in Ukraine to rising geopolitical tensions involving the US, Russia, and China.
“Aggression is aggression, regardless of who commits it,” he said, emphasizing that Europe's security issues are “not the allies; it is Russian aggression.”
For Albares, the current moment calls for a more united Europe capable of speaking for itself.
Read: White House: Trump's Greenland Acquisition Plan Aims to Counter China, Russia
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