The U.S. issues a Venezuela license, and unsurprisingly, China is not on the list—Beijing's statement this time is very serious!

On April 1st, at a Foreign Ministry press briefing, China responded to the recent "General License" issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. This license authorizes investment and operations in Venezuela’s mineral sector but explicitly excludes China, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Iran. The spokesperson stated that China firmly opposes this move by the U.S. and emphasized that China’s legitimate rights and interests in Venezuela must be protected.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued at least seven such licenses recently. These cover multiple sectors including oil, natural gas, and minerals, with no expiration dates set. This is not a temporary humanitarian measure but a systematic resource strategy. Its core objective is to maintain comprehensive sanctions against Venezuela while carving out a dedicated resource pathway for U.S. and allied companies.

Early in March, the U.S. Interior Secretary led a delegation of executives from over twenty U.S. and Canadian mining companies on a visit to Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. They focused on lobbying for rights to mine gold, diamonds, and rare earths. Following the visit, relevant licenses were swiftly issued. Subsequently, the secretary publicly confirmed that approximately $100 million worth of physical gold from Venezuela had arrived in the United States on March 6, describing the event as “happy to bring back the gold.”

The U.S. intent is crystal clear. Venezuela holds the world’s fourth-largest gold reserves and rich rare earth resources—both classified by the U.S. as critical strategic materials. Through this “exclusive entry ticket,” the U.S. aims to integrate these resources into its own supply chains. At the same time, it directly undermines ongoing cooperation projects between China and Venezuela. For example, the $5 billion lithium mining development agreement signed between China and Venezuela in 2025 will face obstacles set by the U.S., particularly regarding equipment supply and technical collaboration.

Editorial note: This time, Beijing’s language carries significant weight—“firm opposition” and “must be protected” are unambiguous terms. What specific countermeasures will China take next? Let’s wait and see.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861323905150988/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.