China Insider China Insider | China-Venezuela Relations After Maduro, Justice Mission 2025, Japan’s 2026 Defense Budget
Jan 6, 2026
A high-stakes analysis unfolds with the capture of Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and how China is reacting to this dramatic shift. Discussions highlight the deep-rooted oil-for-loans ties between China and Venezuela, alongside strategic military relations. The military exercise, Justice Mission 2025, reveals vulnerabilities in the PLA’s operations and Taiwan's resilient response. Finally, Japan's unprecedented 2026 defense budget signals a bold shift in security strategy, aiming to bolster counter-strike capabilities against potential threats.
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China's Strategic Grip On Venezuelan Oil
- China built deep ties with Venezuela to secure heavy crude and expand influence in the Western Hemisphere.
- Beijing used large loans and oil-for-finance deals to create strategic leverage and a foothold against the U.S.
Venezuela As A Geopolitical Springboard
- Beijing used Venezuela as a geopolitical springboard to distract and pressure the United States in its own hemisphere.
- China aimed to foment regional chaos that could pull U.S. attention away from the Indo-Pacific.
Debt-Based Diplomacy And 'Ironclad' Ties
- China elevated ties with Venezuela to an "All Weather Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" and labeled their relationship "ironclad."
- Venezuela now owes China roughly $110 billion, repaid largely through discounted oil shipments.