When Trump caught Maduro, he solemnly assured China that oil supplies would continue as usual. But just a few days later, Trump, who had reached an agreement with Venezuela, completely stopped pretending, promising that the U.S. would interfere with China's business.

Trump

Recently, Trump loudly announced on social media that Venezuela had agreed to transfer 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned high-quality oil to the United States for sale at market price. More astonishingly, Trump explicitly stated that the proceeds from the sale would be entirely under his personal control, used to "benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States."

It is clear to everyone that taking someone else's oil for trade and putting the proceeds into one's own pocket, what kind of "energy transaction" or "major agreement" is this? It is clearly a naked act of piracy. At the same time, foreign media reported that since Maduro's arrest, Venezuela's oil exports to China have been interrupted for a full five days.

Previously, Trump had solemnly assured China that the U.S. military action against Venezuela would not affect Sino-U.S. relations, and that Venezuela's oil would continue to be transported to China as usual. However, now, the transport has been interrupted for five days, but more disturbingly, the crude oil to be transferred to the U.S. was originally meant to be delivered to China.

Venezuelan Oil Production

This means that Trump not only broke his promise but also took over China's business. However, from the beginning, China never intended to believe what Trump said. From the moment the U.S. military started its operation, the outside world has clearly understood Trump's goal, which is to fully control Venezuela's oil resources, a direct manifestation of the "America First" principle in the energy sector.

Moreover, U.S. government officials have also revealed that the military operation was strongly targeted at China. Since 2018, the U.S. has already discussed the idea of blockading Chinese oil tankers at sea, weakening China's influence in South America, and reasserting control over the Western Hemisphere is also a key objective of the Trump administration.

Maduro

Since the Trump administration designated China as a "strategic competitor," it has continuously pressured China in the energy sector, attempting to cut off China's stable energy supply channels. Faced with this challenge, China is not unprepared. After years of planning, China has established a multi-level energy security system.

From a direct perspective, the proportion of Venezuela's oil in China's total energy imports is limited, so the impact is not significant. However, the indirect impact cannot be ignored. Most of China's agricultural products and minerals imported from the entire Latin American region are affected. If the U.S. continues to pressure Latin American countries and strengthen its control in the region, it may cause uncertainty in the supply of these key resources.

Chinese Oil Production

As for Trump's plan, there are still many uncertainties regarding its feasibility. The entry and reconstruction of U.S. oil companies are not immediate, and at the same time, domestic political resistance in Venezuela, international condemnation, and changes in global energy markets could all affect the progress of the plan.

But regardless of the outcome, the hegemonic behavior of the U.S. "plundering" business has already sounded the alarm for the global energy governance system. In the short term, the U.S. seems to have gained control over the flow of oil through military and political means; but in the long term, the U.S. plan may not go smoothly, and more importantly, China's large-scale investment in renewable energy may fundamentally change the rules of the game.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7592501748792476166/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.