Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on US Remarks on Venezuela and China-Venezuela Cooperation

Q: On August 5, US President Trump signed an executive order to freeze the Venezuelan government's assets in the US, which bans any entity or individual from providing contribution or substantial support like funds, goods and services to the Venezuelan government. At an international conference for democracy in Venezuela on August 6, US National Security Adviser Bolton said if China and Russia continue to support the Maduro regime, a democratically elected government in Venezuela may view the two countries as hostile powers and could opt not to repay their debts after Maduro falls. What's your comment?

A: What the US said and did constitutes gross interference in Venezuela's internal affairs and severely violates the basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes that.

We have to point out that which political party rules the country is a domestic affair of that country and should be decided by its people. With whom a country will cooperate should also be decided by the country itself. Facts have proven time and again that sanctions will never help resolve the Venezuela issue. Instead, they will only increase the risk of the situation getting out of control. China urges the US to face up to the essence of the Venezuelan issue, return to the right path of respecting the international law and support the dialogue process of the Venezuelan government and the opposition. The US should let the Venezuelan people decide their future and immediately stop the bullying behavior of wantonly suppressing other country.

China's position on the Venezuela issue is clear and consistent. The China-Venezuela cooperation has been conducted with equality, mutual benefit, win-win results and market principles. Such legal and legitimate cooperation has delivered benefits to the two countries and peoples. It brooks no interference from others. China is fully convinced that the China-Venezuela cooperation will go on no matter how the situation changes. We advise the US to draw lessons from history and give up sowing discord immediately.