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'China and Venezuela! United!' What Nicolas Maduro said as he met Beijing envoy hours before ‘capture’ by US forces
Nicolas Maduro met Qui Xiaoqi, China' special envoy, in Venezuela on Saturday and shared pictures from the meeting on Telegram.
The strikes on Venezuela by the United States which eventually led to the “capture” of President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, January 3, came just hours after Maduro had hosted dignitaries from China, an ally and fellow Communist regime.
Maduro met Qui Xiaoqi, China' special envoy, in Venezuela on Saturday and shared pictures from the meeting on Telegram. He said that during the meeting, him and the Chinese envoy reaffirmed their “commitment to strategic partnership”.
Track live updates of US atttack on Venezuela here
“I held a pleasant meeting with Qui Xiaoqi, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping. We reaffirmed our commitment to the strategic relationship, which is advancing and strengthening across various areas for the construction of a multipolar world of development and peace. China and Venezuela! United!" Maduro wrote on Telegram.
In another post, he wrote, “I received Qiu Xiaoqi, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping for Latin America and the Caribbean. A fraternal meeting that reaffirms the strong bonds of brotherhood and friendship between China and Venezuela — at all times and under all circumstances.”
Merely hours after Maduro shared the pictures, Trump announced that the United States “carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela” and “captured” Maduro and his wife and flew them out of the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” he wrote on Truth Social. Later, Trump told the New York Times that “a lot of good planning” went behind the US' operation.
Also read: How US action in Venezuela could impact oil prices, India
China tells citizens in Venezuela to not got out
China issued a statement on Saturday telling it citizens to not travel to Venezuela in near future and urged Chinese nationals already in the Latin American country to avoid going out, reported news agency AFP citing the Chinese state broadcaster.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela remind Chinese citizens to refrain from travelling to Venezuela in the near future," reported the broadcaster CCTV.
“Chinese nationals and institutions already in the country should closely monitor the local security situation, effectively strengthen safety precautions and emergency preparedness, avoid going out unless absolutely necessary, and stay well away from conflict zones or sensitive areas,” the Chinese foreign ministry added.
After the overnight operation, it remains unclear if more actions by the United States lay ahead in Venezuela. However, there is no US military action going on in Venezuela, as of now. Trump said that Maduro and his wife are aboard a US warship and will be prosecuted in New York.
