One of the goals of the US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to send a message to China: “Stay away from America“, Reuters reported, citing US officials.
Several US administration officials said that President Donald Trump's actions against Maduro were partly aimed at countering China's ambitions. The days when Beijing provided Venezuela with loans and other financing in exchange for favorable oil prices are 'gone,' one source said.
Analysts interviewed by Reuters said the kidnapping Maduro's capture by the US confirms Beijing's limited ability to influence the situation in the Americas. It is evidence of the gap between China's "great power rhetoric" and its real influence in the Western Hemisphere, said Craig Singleton, a China expert at the think tank "Foundation for Defense of Democracies".
"Beijing can protest diplomatically, but it will not be able to protect partners or assets if Washington decides to apply direct pressure," he explained.
As Reuters notes, Maduro met with China's special envoy for Latin America, Qiu Xiaoqi, in Caracas just hours before the kidnapping. It was his last public appearance before the Americans captured him. The meeting was broadcast live while the US was secretly preparing for the operation, suggesting that Beijing was caught off guard, the American believes official.
While China may appear to be at a disadvantage in Latin America, in reality, a prolonged U.S. military intervention in Venezuela or a deteriorating security situation there could provide Beijing with an opportunity to reassert its authority, analysts say.
For example, the U.S.’s abrupt shift from a rule of law approach to a “sphere of influence logic” focused primarily on the Western Hemisphere could play to China’s advantage, explained Daniel Russell, a former senior State Department official.
“Beijing wants Washington to recognize that Asia is in China’s sphere of influence, and it undoubtedly hopes to bog the U.S. down in Venezuela,” he added.