Among the many goals of last week's U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to send China a message: stay away from the Americas. 'WE DON'T WANT YOU THERE'Trump made the message explicit on Friday, expressing discomfort with China and Russia as a "next-door neighbor," in a meeting with oil executives. "Beijing can protest diplomatically, but it cannot protect partners or assets once Washington decides to apply direct pressure," he said. The Venezuela operation appeared to tilt U.S. policy in a more hawkish direction. It has sought to increase its influence in Cuba, and the U.S. suspects Beijing runs an intelligence-gathering operation there.

Source: The Telegraph January 11, 2026 14:04 UTC