US attack on Venezuela

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Analysis: US attack on Venezuela does not change China's plans for Taiwan

Following the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, social media in China has been filled with posts about how the Communist Party could do what the US did in Taiwan.

"The situation in Venezuela has given us a solution to unify Taiwan," writes one user on Weibo according to Reuters.

The news agency writes that analysts and experts agree that China does not have the same capabilities as the US.

"Although China has acquired advanced weapons for several years, questions remain about the People's Liberation Army's ability to use them effectively," the analysis says.

CNN's Will Ripley has also noted that the US attack on Venezuela has received a lot of attention in China. He points out that the Chinese government condemned the attack as a violation of international law.

– Most people in Taipei do not believe that the US raid will change China’s calculations regarding Taiwan, but some believe that China could use what happened to attack the credibility of the US, he says.

Oil market
Trump declares national emergency to protect oil revenues

President Trump has declared a national emergency to protect future Venezuelan oil revenues in the US Treasury from legal claims by creditors in the country, writes Bloomberg.

The goal of the presidential order is to “ensure that these funds are preserved to advance US foreign policy objectives,” according to a statement from the White House.

At the same time, the document confirms that the money belongs to the Venezuelan state even though it is held by the US.

The Trump administration has previously stated that the oil revenues will benefit both Venezuela and the US.

Analysis: Trump wins now but may not in the long run

Donald Trump has won a short-term tug-of-war with China over Venezuela's oil, but risks losing the larger strategic battle over the energy needed for AI development, writes the Financial Times' Gillian Tett. While China is rapidly expanding cheap renewable energy and especially solar power, Trump is investing in fossil energy and opposing renewables.

"It is a moral crime, given the potential impact on climate change. It is also economic self-destructive behavior" that benefits China and hampers the United States, writes Tett.

America's global dominance has weakened economically and politically since the Cold War, but the operation in Caracas shows that the country's military power remains, writes Bloomberg's John Authers.

The action is not about a return to fixed spheres of interest - the Trump administration has continued global ambitions in a world where everyone must assert themselves. At the same time, the world has become more dangerous and unpredictable. “Just look at the markets. Currencies and oil prices have barely moved since the Caracas incident – ​​but global arms stocks have risen 7 percent,” Authers writes.

Even if Venezuela’s attempt to restart oil production were successful and most of the world’s claims on the country were forgiven, the economy would likely still need higher oil prices to thrive, writes Reuters’ Jon Sindreu.

Opening up the country would attract new investors, but it is highly unclear to what extent that will happen as long as the old regime is in control, he writes.