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China says US broke international law by seizing oil tankers off Venezuela
Situation intensifies as Beijing condemns tanker seizures and US security chief calls to remove Nicolas Maduro from power
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Igor Patrickin Rio de Janeiro
China accused the United States on Monday of violating international law by seizing oil tankers off Venezuela, as Washington intensified pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government and a senior US official openly suggested that he should be removed from power.
At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the United States “seriously violated international law” by intercepting foreign vessels and reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral sanctions and coercive measures.
“The US practice of arbitrarily seizing other countries’ vessels seriously violates international law,” Lin said. China, he added, opposed actions that “infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty and security” and opposed “all acts of unilateralism and bullying”.
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The remarks followed confirmation from Washington officials that the US Coast Guard seized an oil tanker early on Saturday local time and that US forces were pursuing another vessel, part of what the Trump administration described as a blockade of “sanctioned oil vessels” entering or leaving Venezuela.
US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela
US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the seized tanker was “operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil”.
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