China said on Monday that the United States' seizure of foreign vessels was a serious violation of international law, after United States forces intercepted an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude bound for China.
China says seizure violates international law
Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Venezuela had the right to conduct normal trade with other countries and reiterated China's opposition to what it called "unilateral and illegal" sanctions imposed by Washington.
The discussion followed the interception by the US Coast Guard of a Panama-flagged tanker off the Venezuelan coast on Saturday. The move came days after President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
The tanker, Centuries, was headed for China
According to shipping documents, the tanker, Centuries, was carrying about 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil and was headed for China. US officials said the vessel had been falsely flagged and was part of Venezuela's so-called shadow fleet used to evade sanctions.
Venezuela's government denounced the interception as an act of "international piracy." China, the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude, relies on the oil for about 4% of its total imports. An incident that underscores rising tensions over United States enforcement of sanctions on Venezuela's oil exports.
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