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China blasts US for ‘blatant interference’ after Donald Trump claims Venezuela’s oil
Beijing says Caracas has ‘full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources’
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Xinlu Liangin Beijing
China has denounced the United States for its “blatant interference” in Venezuela, accusing it of violating international law and infringing upon the country’s sovereignty following Donald Trump’s statement that America would take its oil.
On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described the US’ actions in the South American country as breaching international norms.
“Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic activities,” Mao said.
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On Tuesday, the US president announced that Venezuela would turn over up to 50 million barrels of oil to America, saying the proceeds would be used to benefit both countries.
The move signalled an escalation in efforts to expand America’s economic clout across Latin America, following Saturday’s military raid to depose Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Trump’s subsequent claim that the US would temporarily “run” Venezuela.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump wrote: “I am pleased to inform that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be handing over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.”
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