As Venezuela and the United States teeter on the brink of war, China has been vocal in condemning US actions. In Beijing’s view, Washington’s escalation – which includes seizing Venezuelan oil tankers, striking alleged drug-smuggling boats and imposing a blockade off the Venezuelan coast – is a textbook example of American unilateralism, infringing on another country’s sovereignty and violating the United Nations Charter.During a December 17 call with his Venezuelan counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced opposition to US “unilateral bullying” and expressed his support for Venezuela’s right to “defend its sovereignty and national dignity”.Yet, Beijing has failed to offer Caracas anything beyond rhetoric. China is clearly wary of falling into a geopolitical trap and its inaction demonstrates the limits of its influence in Latin America.Engagement with Latin AmericaFor more than two decades, China has pursued an expansion of economic relations with Latin American countries. As a result, today it is South America’s top trading partner; it is also the second-largest trading partner of Mexico, one of the US’s closest allies in the region.China’s engagement with Latin American countries is fuelled by the high degree of complementarity between their economies. Agricultural goods – notably soya beans from Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay – have improved Ch …
