China’s Xi takes veiled swipe at US over ‘unilateral, bullying’ actions in Venezuela

China warns against unilateral global bullying

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday appeared to take a veiled swipe at the United States, urging major powers to respect the development paths chosen by other countries and abide by international law and the principles of the UN Charter, according to Xinhua. Xi said global stability relies on leading nations setting an example by upholding these norms.

During talks with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Beijing, Xi cautioned that amid rising uncertainty and turmoil worldwide, “unilateral” and “bullying” behaviour is seriously eroding the international order.

His comments come against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, including recent developments in Venezuela that have triggered sharp international scrutiny.

A day earlier, China reinforced its stance by strongly criticising what it described as the United States’ forcible control of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Beijing warned against unilateral “bullying” and said no country has the right to act as the world’s “policeman” or an “international judge” in an increasingly unstable global environment.

Speaking at the seventh Round of the China–Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China “always opposes the use or threat of force, as well as any imposition of one country’s will on another.” He added that the global situation is becoming more volatile, with unilateral bullying growing increasingly severe.

“The sudden change of situation in Venezuela has drawn high attention from the international community,” Wang said. Stressing the importance of sovereignty, he added, “We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge,” underlining that the sovereignty and security of all nations must be protected under international law.

Wang said China would continue working with the international community, including Pakistan, to uphold the UN Charter, respect international norms and safeguard global peace and development. He reiterated Beijing’s vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, highlighting dialogue, cooperation and respect for international law as the way forward.

According to the statement, Maduro was captured by US forces during a military operation on Saturday and is currently in American custody, with Delcy Rodríguez assuming office late Sunday as Venezuela’s acting president. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a warning, saying she must grant the United States “total access” or face consequences “probably worse than Maduro.”