Venezuela on Sunday complained to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) about the U.S. attempts to seize its oil through the use of military force.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez read the letter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to OPEC members at the 192nd OPEC Conference, condemning the U.S. attempts to control the Venezuelan oil reserve by force.
In the letter, Maduro said that since August this year, U.S. President Donald Trump has continuously carried out harassment and threats against Venezuela, which has severely endangered regional and international peace, security, and stability.
Currently, the United States has deployed more than 14 warships and 15,000 military personnel in the Caribbean region, conducted over 20 attacks on so-called drug-related vessels, resulting in the extrajudicial killings of more than 80 people. It has also publicly repeated its threats to use military force against Venezuelan territory.
Such actions constitute a blatant violation of the UN Charter and other provisions of international law, said Maduro.
Venezuela has formally filed a complaint to OPEC and the OPEC+ mechanism, accusing the U.S. government of attempting to seize Venezuela's and the world’s largest oil reserves by using lethal military force against Venezuelan territory, people, and institutions.
Such acts of the United States not only violate the fundamental norms governing peaceful coexistence among nations but also seriously endanger the stability of Venezuela's oil production and the order of the international market, said Maduro.
The letter also called on oil-producing countries to establish a sovereign production alliance free from external interference.
Venezuela complains to OPEC about US attempts to seize its oil
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
