Is the Chinese military secretly entering Venezuela?
Information has emerged that China is sending troops to Venezuela and will establish a cooperative relationship with Russia to protect its interests in Venezuela.
Despite China's denials, the West believes Beijing has secretly sent troops to Venezuela. This is an extremely rare move for the Chinese.
Multiple sources indicate that 120 Chinese soldiers arrived on March 28th on Margarita Island in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela to deliver humanitarian aid and support to government forces. Following the handover, the People's Liberation Army soldiers were stationed at a Venezuelan military facility. The arrival of the Chinese troops has attracted significant international media attention.
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Have Chinese troops arrived in Venezuela? |
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Venezuela imported $349 million worth of weapons from China between 2010 and 2014 alone. Initially, the country purchased low-tech weapons such as radar and training aircraft, but by 2017 this had expanded to include armored vehicles and ammunition, uniforms and infantry vehicles, as well as Russian-made weapons parts.
Russia has also sent approximately 99 Russian military personnel to Venezuela to install a training complex for military helicopters, but details of the Chinese military's mission have not been disclosed. The close coordination between Moscow and Beijing on foreign policy issues and the potential deployment of their troops in Venezuela is a coordinated move.
The presence of Russian and Chinese troops in Venezuela has caused a worried reaction in Washington. US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Moscow and Beijing: “We will consider such provocative actions a direct threat to international peace and security in the region.”
Both Russia and China have invested heavily in Venezuela. According to a recent LA Times report: Throughout the decade ending in 2016, China lent Venezuela approximately $62 billion, much of which Venezuela can repay with oil. In the past few years, Moscow has allocated $17 billion in loans and investments to Venezuela, and in December 2018, the two governments signed a new agreement under which Russia would invest $6 billion in Venezuela's oil and gold industries.
The LA Times report states that, in exchange for its investments, China sought to acquire raw materials, cheap oil, and other dividends, while Moscow was more interested in expanding its military presence and establishing a foothold in North and South America.