China says it opposes US move to shut down Venezuelan airspace

China has criticised the United States over remarks by President Donald Trump calling for the airspace above and around Venezuela to be treated as fully closed.

Beijing said such actions violate international norms and infringe on national sovereignty.

“China opposes any actions that violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and infringe on other countries’ sovereignty and security,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. He added that China rejects interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs “under any pretext.”

Trump said last week that the airspace over Venezuela “should be considered closed in its entirety,” issuing the message in a Truth Social post directed at airlines, pilots, and what he called “drug dealers” and “human traffickers.”

Venezuela’s government condemned the comments, calling them a colonialist threat and saying they run counter to international law. The airspace warning is the latest in a series of steps by Washington to increase pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. The United States has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean and has not ruled out intervention. Trump has also authorised covert CIA operations in the country.

Maduro, who has governed since 2013, has repeatedly accused the United States of seeking to remove him from office. He has said that Venezuela’s citizens and armed forces will resist any attempt to force him out.

Tensions escalated further when Trump told US military personnel earlier this week that land operations would begin “very soon” to target suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers. Washington also designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organisation and imposed sanctions on the group, which it alleges is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials.

In response to these moves, China reiterated its stance against unilateral sanctions.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that the United States should lift what Beijing considers to be illegal and unilateral restrictions on Venezuela and should take steps that promote peace, stability, and development in Latin America and the Caribbean. She said China has consistently opposed sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not authorised by the UN Security Council.