By Emmanuel Bobby
Following the surprise capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his rhetoric toward China, declaring U.S. authority over the entire Western Hemisphere and signaling that Beijing is no longer welcome in what Washington has long considered its strategic backyard.
Senior administration officials have framed the operation in Venezuela not only as a political and security move, but also as a direct challenge to China’s expanding influence across Latin America. Venezuela has been one of Beijing’s most important regional partners, particularly as a major supplier of crude oil.
“We’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week, underscoring the administration’s broader geopolitical message.
China’s Deep Roots in Latin America
Despite the Trump administration’s assertive posture, analysts say China is unlikely to be easily pushed out of Latin America. Beijing has spent more than two decades building economic, political, and diplomatic ties throughout the region, often at a time when U.S. attention was focused elsewhere.
Although reports suggest Washington has pressured Venezuela’s interim government to sever economic ties with China, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday that the United States does not intend to block China from purchasing Venezuelan oil. “We’re not going to cut off China,” Wright said, noting that Beijing would continue buying oil “just like the rest of the world.”
China’s reliance on Venezuelan oil is, in fact, limited. While China buys the majority of Venezuela’s crude exports, those shipments account for only a small, single-digit percentage of China’s total oil imports.
Nevertheless, Beijing has reacted sharply to U.S. actions. China’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the strike on Venezuela and Washington’s claims over the country’s oil resources.
“The legitimate rights and interests of China and other countries in Venezuela must be protected,” spokesperson Mao Ning said, accusing the United States of bullying and reckless use of force under the banner of “America First.”
Venezuela’s Interim Government Turns to Beijing
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has welcomed China’s diplomatic backing. She said Thursday that she met with Chinese Ambassador Lan Hu and praised Beijing’s stance.
“We value China’s firm and consistent position in strongly condemning the serious violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty,” Rodríguez said in a statement, referring to the U.S. capture of Maduro.
Venezuela remains China’s only “all-weather” strategic partner in Latin America, though that relationship had weakened during Maduro’s 12-year rule. Trade volumes and Chinese investment declined as Venezuela fell behind on billions of dollars in loan repayments and struggled to maintain oil production.
Importantly, China holds no formal security commitments to Venezuela. As a result, its response to the U.S. operation has been largely rhetorical, even as American military forces amassed in the region in the months leading up to Maduro’s capture.
“I’m not sure China would want to be part of a conflict that, from the outside, doesn’t seem to involve them directly,” said Bárbara Fernández Melleda, an assistant professor of Latin American studies at the University of Hong Kong.
A Broader Economic Footprint
Across Latin America, China’s influence has been primarily economic. In 2010, Beijing overtook the United States as South America’s largest trading partner. According to a recent Pentagon report, China has expanded its regional footprint through infrastructure projects, energy investments, economic assistance, and trade.
One of the most prominent examples is the Chancay port in Peru, a major deep-water port that opened in 2024. The project has been described by experts as a transformative development that significantly strengthens China’s logistical and commercial presence in South America.
That economic expansion has translated into political gains. Several countries in the region have switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in recent years, most recently Honduras.
Washington Pushes Back
In its national security strategy released last month, the White House pledged to “deny non-Hemispheric competitors” the ability to own or control strategically vital assets in the Americas. The strategy explicitly calls for efforts to push foreign companies out of critical infrastructure projects across the region.
Achieving that goal, however, will not be easy. Analysts warn that China’s entrenched role in Latin America presents major political and economic obstacles.
“Beijing has built trade and investment ties across multiple sectors, from energy and ports to roads and technology, as part of its global New Silk Road strategy,” said Andrés Bórquez, an assistant professor of Asian studies at the Universidad de Chile.
Since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, his administration has pressed Latin American governments to loosen their ties with China, with mixed results.
In Panama, the government withdrew from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and a Hong Kong–based company agreed to sell its Panama Canal port operations to a U.S.-led consortium, though the deal has faced delays due to Chinese regulatory scrutiny. Panamanian authorities also drew Beijing’s ire last month after dismantling a monument honoring the Chinese community.
Elsewhere, political shifts are underway. In Honduras, both leading presidential candidates have suggested restoring ties with Taiwan. In Mexico, lawmakers approved tariff hikes of up to 50% on certain Chinese imports.
A Region Divided
Latin American reactions to the U.S. action in Venezuela have been sharply divided. Conservative leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa have voiced support for Trump’s move. By contrast, left-leaning leaders, including Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have expressed alarm.
Despite U.S. pressure, experts say the region as a whole is unlikely to abandon China.
“What we’re seeing is a diversity of strategies aimed at balancing relations with both powers,” Bórquez said.
Chinese consumer products remain deeply embedded in daily life across Latin America, from smartphones made by Xiaomi and Huawei to electric vehicles produced by BYD and other automakers.
Even if Washington proclaims renewed dominance over the hemisphere, analysts say China’s presence on the ground is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
“Everyday life in terms of Chinese economic and commercial presence isn’t going to change,” said Carol Wise, a professor of international politics at the University of Southern California. “That reality exists regardless of how strongly the United States asserts its hegemony.”
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