China Condemns U.S. Seizure of Oil Tanker Bound for China as Violation of International Law

China’s foreign ministry on Monday strongly criticized the United States for intercepting a China-bound oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, calling the action a serious violation of international law. Speaking at a daily press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Venezuela has the sovereign right to develop relations with other countries and reiterated China’s opposition to all “unilateral and illegal” sanctions imposed outside the framework of international law.

The comments followed the interception by the U.S. Coast Guard of a second oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela on Saturday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country. According to documents, the tanker Centuries had loaded around 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude under a false name and was bound for China. The oil was reportedly purchased by Satau Tijana Oil Trading, an intermediary involved in sales by Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA to Chinese independent refiners.

A White House spokesperson said the “falsely flagged vessel” was carrying sanctioned oil and was part of Venezuela’s so-called shadow fleet. The Venezuelan government, however, denounced the interception as a “serious act of international piracy.” China remains the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude, which accounts for about 4% of its total oil imports, underscoring Beijing’s concerns over disruptions to lawful international trade.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright