Name: Gao: U.S. Venezuela move ends Pax Americana
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T13:17:11.541Z
Duration: 4 min 19 s
Description: Victor Gao, VP at the Center for China and Globalization, tells Bloomberg that Beijing condemns the U.S. action against Nicolas Maduro, calling it the end of an era.

Victor Gao, VP at the Center for China and Globalization, tells Bloomberg that Beijing condemns the U.S. action against Nicolas Maduro, calling it the end of an era.

Caracas

Victor Gao, vice president at the Center for China and Globalization, condemned the recent U.S. operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Gao described the action as an act of aggression and a breach of international law, warning it could set a dangerous precedent for future interventions.

Gao emphasized that China's interests in Venezuela, including significant financial investments, are at risk and called for continued cooperation with Venezuela's current and future governments. He argued that the U.S. move undermines international norms and could mark the beginning of the end of U.S. global dominance, urging the U.S. to seek respect rather than instill fear.

Gao: U.S. Venezuela move ends 'Pax Americana'

Venezuela's acting president says she is inviting the U.S. to work with her country after an American operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. swooped into Caracas over the weekend, seizing Maduro and flying him to New York to face drugs and weapons charges. President Trump earlier said the U.S. plans to run Venezuela with elections due eventually. We're going to run everything. We're going to run it, fix it. We'll have elections at the right time. But the main thing you have to fix is a broken country. Well, joining us now is Victor Gao, vice president at Center for China and Globalization. Victor was ex-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's English interpreter in the 1980s. Victor, good to have you with us. What's your sense? How does Beijing view the strike that the U.S. made on Venezuela? I think China condemns such an act of aggression and intrusion into a sovereign country and hijacking or abducting a head of state and the first lady. This is purely, in China's view, a violation of the international norms and international relations and a violation of the United Nations Charter. And if the United States can do this to Venezuela, the United States or any other country can do similar things to any other country. And what really drives President Trump and the U.S. government is to seize the oil assets in Venezuela. Now, this is not America's, this is Venezuela's asset. And for President Trump to pretend that he will run the affairs of Venezuela is very presumptuous in the least, and also very much destabilizing the international relations. If any country can do this to the oil assets of Venezuela, they can do similar things to Saudi Arabia or to Qatar or to UAE. Where will be peace and stability in the world? So I think China wants to stand by the right side of the history. And the United States apparently, in China's view, is on the wrong side of history. This will not make America great again. This will really be a very dark moment in the U.S. history. And in my best judgment, history will look back upon this event as the beginning of the end of Pax Americana, because the United States, through this act of aggression against Venezuela and against the sovereign president of Venezuela, is really starting a new phase in its development. It may eventually lead to the end of Pax Americana. No one in the world wants to be dominated by a domineering country. Victor, might China be concerned about its own interests in Venezuela? Because by some calculations, China has lent Venezuela about $100 billion. Of course, China-Venezuela relations are very close, and we cooperate with each other fully. And this is all normal contracts. And for the United States to launch such a blatant act of aggression against Venezuela is a matter of great concern to China. And China wants to call for stability, and China wants to continue working relations with Venezuela, especially with the current government. And if there will be a new government eventually, in due course, of course China wants to maintain normal relations with the future government in Venezuela. But all this is no small matter, because what the United States is doing is not only negatively impacting on the legitimate business interests of China and Venezuela, it really undermines international norms. And if this becomes a precedent, I think the United States will strike fear in many other countries in the world. And allow me to mention, philosophically, striking fear is not equivalent to gaining respect. Fear is not getting respect, and the United States will be better served if it gains respect rather than striking fear in other countries.

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