China called on the United States to lift the illegal and unilateral sanctions it has imposed on Venezuela and take further steps to promote peace, stability and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Friday, according to Xinhua News Agency.
According to reports, the United States officially designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization on November 24, claiming that it includes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials, and imposed sanctions on it. The Venezuelan side said in a statement that it opposed such a move, calling it a ridiculous lie aimed at illegally interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
“China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorization by the United Nations Security Council, and opposes interference by external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext,” Mao said.