Chinese military secretly arrives in Venezuela?

Despite China's denials, the West still believes Beijing has quietly sent troops to Venezuela, an extremely rare move for the Chinese.

Multiple sources said the number of Chinese soldiers was 120 and they arrived on March 28 on Margarita Island in the Caribbean Sea off Venezuela to deliver humanitarian aid and support government forces. After the handover, the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army of China were deployed at a Venezuelan military facility. The appearance of the Chinese military has attracted the attention of international media.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Venezuela imported $349 million worth of weapons from China between 2010 and 2014 alone, initially buying low-tech weapons such as radars and training aircraft, but in 2017 including armored vehicles and ammunition, uniforms and infantry vehicles, as well as Russian-made weapons spare parts.

Russia has also sent about 99 Russian military personnel to Venezuela to install a training complex for military helicopters, but details of the Chinese military mission have not been disclosed. Moscow and Beijing coordinate closely on foreign policy issues, and it is entirely possible that the two countries' deployment of their troops in Venezuela is a coordinated step.

The presence of Russian and Chinese troops in Venezuela has caused a nervous reaction in Washington. US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Moscow and Beijing: “We will consider such provocative actions as 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: Over the decade ending in 2016, China lent Venezuela about $62 billion, much of which Venezuela was able to repay in oil. Over 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 will invest $6 billion in Venezuela’s oil and gold industries.

The LA Times report said that while China sought to gain raw materials, cheap oil and other dividends in exchange for its investment, Moscow was more interested in expanding its military presence and establishing a foothold in North and South America.