China Urges Maduro’s Release, Calls for Negotiated Resolution

China demanded the immediate release of Venezuela’s president and urged dialogue, while Japan said it would work with G7 partners to “restore democracy” amid the crisis.

China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced that China urges the United States to immediately release of Venezuela’s president and his wife, calling for a negotiated solution. @IrnaEnglish

January 4, 2026 Hour: 5:56 am

China on Sunday voiced “grave concern” over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by the United States, demanded their “immediate release,” and called for the crisis to be resolved through “dialogue and negotiation,” according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Beijing said it was “gravely concerned” that Washington had “seized by force” the Venezuelan head of state and his spouse and transferred them outside the country. The ministry’s spokesperson stated that U.S. actions “clearly violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” and contravene “the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” while undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty.

China urged Washington to “guarantee the personal safety” of Maduro and Flores, to “release them immediately,” to “stop undermining the Venezuelan government,” and to “resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation.” The statement did not announce additional measures.

The remarks followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that Maduro and Flores had been captured in Caracas and transferred to the United States. The Venezuelan president spent his first night at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed interim leadership of the executive branch by order of Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice.

China maintains close diplomatic and economic relations with Venezuela, strengthened during the administrations of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Maduro, and has consistently defended the principles of state sovereignty and non-interference in international forums. Earlier, Beijing issued a consular advisory discouraging its citizens from traveling to Venezuela due to deteriorating security conditions, without offering political assessments of the U.S. operation.

Separately, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is “closely monitoring” the situation in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation and stated it would work to “restore democracy” in the country. “The Government of Japan is closely monitoring the situation and giving the highest priority to the safety of Japanese citizens” residing in Venezuela, the ministry said.

Tokyo said it would coordinate with “relevant countries including those of the G7,” a group that includes its main ally, the United States, to “promote diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring democracy and stabilizing the situation in Venezuela.” Japan’s foreign ministry emphasized respect for international law while reiterating its position on “the importance of restoring democracy in Venezuela as soon as possible.”