Update: China firmly opposes U.S. manipulation of so-called "general licenses" to restrict China-Venezuela cooperation: spokesperson

Xinhua
01 Apr 2026, 17:46 GMT+10

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the United States' manipulation of the so-called "general licenses" to restrict China-Venezuela cooperation, and China's lawful rights and interests in Venezuela must be safeguarded, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing when responding to a query about the U.S. Treasury Department's recent issuance of Venezuela-related general licenses for mineral investment and operations, with the U.S. side stating the move will help bring the Venezuelan economy back online and benefit Americans and Venezuelans. The licenses exclude China, Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Cuba and Iran.

"What the United States should do is immediately lift its illegal unilateral sanctions on Venezuela, rather than manipulate the so-called 'general licenses' to whitewash its actions that undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all parties concerned, including Venezuela," Mao said.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to South America Times.

More Information

International

Section

US fuel prices surge past $4 as Iran war disrupts oil

NEW YORK CITY, New York: U.S. gasoline prices have climbed above US$4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, as the Iran war drives...

Fuel spike forces airlines into fares versus demand trade-off

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Airlines are scrambling to adjust fares and flight schedules as a sharp rise in fuel costs threatens profitability...

North Korean capital Pyongyang welcomes Air China flight

BEIJING, China: Six years after China suspended all air traffic to North Korea, China Air, the country's flag carrier, resumed direct...

‘No Kings’ rallies held across US with Springsteen show in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minnesota: Protesting against the war in Iran and President Donald Trump's actions in Iran, people held No Kings rallies...

Tiger Woods crashes car at high speed, held on DUI charge

JUPITER ISLAND, Florida: Golfing legend Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence on March 27 after the Land Rover he...

Pro-Iranian group claim to have hacked FBI Director’s email account

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A hacking group that supports Iran said on March 27 that it broke into an account linked to FBI Director Kash Patel....

Latin America

Section

China’s BYD posts first profit drop since 2021 amid rivalry

HONG KONG: Chinese automaker BYD said on March 27 that its annual sales rose to a record US$116 billion, outpacing Tesla's, but its...

Malaysian firm thrives in China's saline-alkali soil

YINCHUAN, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Under the spring sun in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northwest China, a once-barren stretch of saline-alkali...

Update: China firmly opposes U.S. manipulation of so-called "general licenses" to restrict China-Venezuela cooperation: spokesperson

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the United States' manipulation of the so-called general licenses to restrict China-Venezuela...