Actions targeting Venezuela an open violation of United Nations Charter

The United States is once again resorting to coercive diplomacy and building military pressure against a sovereign state, using the banner of combating drug trafficking to target Venezuela. Recent developments, including expanded US military deployment in the Caribbean, blockading oil tankers and escalating sanctions and threats, have laid bare a familiar pattern: unilateral actions dressed up as law enforcement, but in reality undermining international law and regional stability.

At the United Nations Security Council, China's deputy permanent representative Sun Lei said Washington's actions go far beyond any legitimate anti-narcotics operation. The sinking of Venezuelan vessels, killing of crew members, seizure of oil tankers, and rhetoric that openly claims another country's land and assets are not law enforcement measures. They are acts of intimidation. By designating the Venezuelan government as a "foreign terrorist organization" and even threatening military strikes, the US has pushed tensions in Latin America and the Caribbean to a dangerous level, alarming countries across the region and the international community.

China's position is consistent and principled. Sovereignty, equality among states, and noninterference in internal affairs are cornerstones of the UN Charter and the international order. The US campaign against Venezuela seriously infringes on these principles, violates international law, and threatens peace and security in the region. Unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction and the use or threat of force have no legitimacy under international law.