China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on December 22 that the United States has violated international law by arbitrarily seizing other countries' vessels in connection with sanctions on Venezuela, opposing U.S. unilateral actions lacking UN Security Council authorization, according to an X post by @MFA_China published over the past 58 minutes ending at 2:15 p.m. UTC. The statement at https://x.com/MFA_China/status/2003097857281359949 asserts that such U.S. moves infringe on other countries' sovereignty and security, violate the UN Charter's purposes and principles, and constitute unilateralism and bullying. China emphasized that Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, with its defense of legitimate rights and interests garnering international understanding and support. This condemnation follows U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, including the pursuit of the sanctioned Venezuelan-linked oil tanker M/T Bella 1 northeast of Venezuela, as confirmed by an official to NewsNation reporter Kellie Meyer on December 22 at 3:46 a.m. UTC. Recent U.S. Air Force deployments to Puerto Rico, such as the EC-130H Compass Call on December 20 and C-17A Globemaster III on December 22, align with these regional activities.
