As the dust cleared around the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise military strike earlier this month, US officials left little question that they had another target too: China.

Beijing’s reliance on discounted crude from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela is colliding with political reality, and the strains are starting to show.

Despite China's condemnation of American actions and outwardly warm relations between Beijing and Caracas, don't expect China to take decisive action.

One of China’s largest regular buyers of Venezuelan crude is making bids for Canadian cargoes as a replacement, after US intervention in the Latin American country upended global flows and lifted prices.

The official Chinese narrative foregrounds international condemnation and positions Beijing as defender of the international order. But Chinese commentary strikes a different tone.

It lines up another potential showdown between the two superpowers that could further complicate the South American country's path out of default.

HONG KONG — With the surprise capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump declared U.S. authority over the entire Western Hemisphere — and warned China that it’s not welcome in America’s backyard. Trump administration ...

China reiterated support for Venezuela as that country’s captured leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, remain in US detention. The US raid in early January that led to the couple’s capture was described Monday by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as “bullying,” according to an official transcript of his news briefing.