Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief.

The highlights this week: China reacts to the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year’s Eve address, and China announces new export restrictions amid its standoff with Japan.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief.

The highlights this week: China reacts to the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year’s Eve address, and China announces new export restrictions amid its standoff with Japan.

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Last Friday, hours before he was seized by U.S. forces, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro met with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy to Latin America. While Qiu Xiaoqi’s visit was not unusual, its proximity to the U.S. attack may put Xi on edge.

According to Venezuela, the visit reaffirmed the “unbreakable nature of the brotherhood” between the two countries. In 2023, China upgraded its relationship with Venezuela to an “all-weather” partnership, a distinction typically reserved for allies such as Pakistan.

However warm China-Venezuela relations may be, Beijing’s initial reaction to the U.S. attack was limited and predictable. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a brief statement condemning the United States for “hegemonic acts” that violated international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

Moving forward, it is likely that China will make a lot of noise—particularly over the illegality of Maduro’s capture—but offer little practical intervention on Venezuela’s behalf. Though the U.S. attack provides hard-liners in Beijing with justification for severing ties with Washington, such a break is doubtful.

Xi has invested considerable effort in stabilizing China’s bilateral........

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