Maduro’s Arrest Exposes China’s Vulnerabilities in Oil, Sovereignty, Analysts Say

China faces mounting risks as U.S. action in Venezuela threatens Beijing’s energy strategy, overseas investments, and long-held claims of sovereign immunity.

Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro arrives at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, as he heads toward the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering in New York City, on Jan. 5, 2026. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

The capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3 sent shockwaves far beyond Latin America. Analysts say the more consequential aftershocks are being felt in China, which had significant investments in Venezuela’s oil sector and made loans to the Maduro regime.

For nearly two decades, Venezuela has been a critical node in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) foreign strategy, supplying discounted oil while serving as a geopolitical foothold in the Western Hemisphere.