China-Venezuela Alliance Intensifies: Rodriguez's Beijing Visit Highlights Geopolitical Chess Game

In a move underscoring the evolving multipolar world order, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez's visit to Beijing on Thursday, marks another step in the deepening alliance between Venezuela and China, a relationship that has become increasingly crucial for both nations amid rising U.S.-China tensions.

At the meeting, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said that “under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Venezuela has continuously reached new levels.”  He added that China supports “the Venezuelan government and people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions,” and “is willing to work with Venezuela … to continuously improve bilateral cooperation.”

The partnership, which has flourished during dictator Nicolás Maduro's tenure, represents more than simple economic cooperation—it symbolizes a strategic positioning in the global power struggle between Beijing and Washington. For China, Venezuela offers not just abundant oil reserves but a foothold in the Western Hemisphere. For Venezuela, China provides critical economic support, particularly valuable during the period of maximum pressure sanctions imposed by the United States.

Since 2007, China has invested over $60 billion in Venezuela through loans and direct investments, primarily in the oil sector. This financial lifeline intensified as U.S. sanctions tightened, with China becoming Venezuela's largest trading partner and creditor.

“During Donald Trump’s first administration, China—particularly its private refineries known as “teapots”—emerged as one of the main buyers of Venezuelan crude, benefiting from significant discounts that reached up to 40 dollars per barrel compared to Brent. Despite the risks linked to the U.S. financial system, these companies maintained their purchases, becoming an escape route for Caracas in the face of sanctions,” said Elias Ferrer, founder of Orinoco Research in El Analitico.

According to Bloomberg, Venezuela is significantly increasing its oil exports to China, reaching 400,000 barrels per day in March - the highest level since June 2023. This surge comes as the Trump administration implements new pressure tactics, including 25% tariffs on countries that purchase Venezuelan oil and revoking Western oil companies’ licenses and waivers to operate in Venezuela (with a May 27 wind-down deadline).

China has consistently remained Venezuela’s largest oil buyer, directly and indirectly taking in 55% of Venezuelan oil exports, according to Reuters, despite U.S. sanctions imposed six years ago. Petroleos de Venezuela facilitates these exports through intermediary companies that employ deceptive tactics like falsified documentation and "ghost ships" with manipulated navigation systems to conceal their movements

However, the relationship extends beyond petroleum to include telecommunications, infrastructure, and even space technology cooperation.

‘Make no mistake: the Chinese Communist Party is watching Venezuela closely,” stated former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien in an opinion piece in Fox News. “They’ve spent years offering the Maduro regime lifelines via loans, military hardware, and surveillance technology in exchange for backdoor control over Venezuela’s oil and infrastructure. Their mission is simple: squeeze American companies out and use Venezuela as yet another lever of power against the United States in our own hemisphere. This situation cannot be ignored any longer.”

O’Brien believes that only President Trump has “both the strength and the acumen to break this deadlock” and deliver “the Venezuela deal that America needs.”

O’Brien argues that our goal should be “a strategic deal that cuts off the supply of funds to Maduro's ruthless regime while protecting American jobs and interests,” adding, “The U.S. has a distinct advantage to leverage through its access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Maintaining that access will lower energy costs here at home and prevent Communist China from seizing control of another critical energy source.”

He applauds President Trump’s nuanced approach of “using secondary tariffs on countries importing Venezuelan oil as the primary means of restricting the flow of money to the regime without hurting American businesses and American jobs. It's a brilliant gambit," he explained, noting that "China, not the United States, is the largest importer of oil from Venezuela."

The former advisor emphasized that any comprehensive strategy must extend beyond energy policy. "As part of any deal, the Maduro regime must agree to take back its illegal aliens and begin real, enforceable reforms that limit the flow of drugs and human trafficking into the United States," O'Brien insisted.

With both Russia and Iran also cultivating ties with Caracas, the stakes continue to rise in what has become a proxy contest for influence. "President Trump understands the stakes," O'Brien concluded. "Under his leadership, the United States can force Maduro's hand, protect American jobs, drive down energy prices, push out the CCP, Iranian, and Russian influence, and force the regime to take responsibility for its citizens."

As Rodriguez concludes her meetings in Beijing, the visit serves as a reminder that in today's geopolitical chessboard, Venezuela represents more than just a country in crisis—it is a strategic piece in the emerging global architecture, where energy security and regional influence continue to shape great power competition.