Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing cannot accept any country acting as the “world’s judge” after the United States captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.

The world’s second-largest economy has provided Venezuela with an economic lifeline since the U.S. and its allies ramped up sanctions in 2017, purchasing roughly $1.6 billion worth of goods in 2024, the most recent full-year data available.

Almost half of China’s purchases were crude oil, customs data shows, while its state-owned oil giants had invested around $4.6 billion in Venezuela by 2018, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank, which tracks Chinese overseas corporate investment.

  • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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    3 days ago

    Were you expecting the consequences to be instantaneous? Like, what, simultaneous nuclear strikes in retalliation?

    Even if proceedings started immediately there wouldn’t be changes to trade for weeks at a minimum and no sentencing for months or even years, but honestly proceedings aren’t likely to start until the individuals responsible lose political power.

        • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          In spite of many of its economic and military misadventures, China hasn’t invaded anyone as of yet.

          That distinction is still important or else v shud sanction every country.

          • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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            3 days ago

            China is occupying Tibet and Hong Kong and claiming it owns Taiwan as well. It also frequently sends warships through seas owned by the Philippines where it has been illegally fishing and destroying Philippines fishing vessels. A couple of weeks ago Chinese authorities refused an Indian passport because they claimed that part of India belonged to China.

            Also, China waged war on it’s own people in Tienanmen Square.

            • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
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              3 days ago

              Hong Kong was returned to china by the UK as agreed when it was leased. None (few?) of the people living there at the time of handowver were alive when the agreement was made but they were living in Hong Kong on borrowed tine regardless, legally speaking. It’s a very different situation to an illegal invasion.

              China not getting Hong Kong back as a territory would have been more damaging to international law and order and international treaties and agreements. International treaties and agreements are supposed to outlive those who agreed them. It’s between nations, not people.

              • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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                3 days ago

                Yeah, much as I dislike how it turned out and how China has been ignoring what post-unification rules there were on Hong Kong, the return itself was above board. Had I been living in Hong Kong in the years leading up I’d have taken the opportunity to get out if at all possible.

                  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Successor_state

                    Example:

                    USSR --> Succeeded by Russian Federation and they inherited the UN seat and the Non Proliferation Treaty

                    ROC --> UN members voted to recognize PRC as the representative of “China”

                    Returning Hong Kong to China wasn’t the issue, the issue is that PRC does not have democracy. If they had democracy, I doubt anyone would care that Hong Kong became part of China.

                    I don’t think Hong Kongers want to secede, per se, they just want freedom.

                  • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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                    3 days ago

                    It’s a not uncommon pattern to have “successor states” that inherit the treaties and obligations of the previous ones. For example how Russia “inherited” the Soviet Union’s position on the UN Security Council, or how Canada is bound by treaties with the First Nations that were signed by Britain (who we were a colony of at the time).

                    Would have been a Big Funny if Britain had handed Hong Kong off to Taiwan instead, though.

              • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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                3 days ago

                According to the BBC:

                What was agreed for the future of Hong Kong?

                China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of “one country, two systems”, where the city would enjoy “a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs” for the next 50 years.

                Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region, and would retain certain freedoms, including:

                • an independent judiciary
                • multiple political parties
                • freedom of assembly and speech

                The territory has its own mini-constitution - the Basic Law - that enshrines these rights.

                It states that “the ultimate aim” is to elect the territory’s leader, the chief executive, “by universal suffrage” and “in accordance with democratic procedures”.

                What actually happened is the Chinese Government immediately went in with their military, restructured the legislative body, and cracked down hard on any dissent.

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          • Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
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            3 days ago

            well not invaded anyone of recent. the last official one would be the short one in vietnam after vietnam ended the Khmer Rouge. this of course was nearly half a century ago though, so a lot of poeple online wouldn’t recall it because it wouldn’t be part of their generation.

        • mrdown@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          China is already sanctionned. There is no sanctions on the United Snakes

          • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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            3 days ago

            Welcome to the discussion. Glad you’re all caught up. Be sure to check for updates after more than 2 days have passed, likely 2 to 3 weeks.