https://www.africanews.info/en/index.php/2026/01/12/after-the-abduction-of-venezuelas-president-and-his-wife-and-threats-against-europe-and-iran-what-did-china-do-by-kurt-grotsch/

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After the Abduction of Venezuela’s President and His Wife, and Threats Against Europe and Iran: What Did China Do?

By Kurt Grotsch africanews123C January 12, 2026

++ War on the Dollar and Economic Escalation Against Washington
++ Has a Comprehensive Political-Economic Confrontation Begun?

Without empty rhetorical displays in the style of Trump or Macron, China embarked on a series of concrete actions, driven by its assessment that the United States has turned control over Venezuelan oil into a tool to curb China’s presence in South America and obstruct a trajectory of rapid, irreversible growth.

China took measures that directly targeted the flotation line of the American empire, as the aggression against Venezuela constitutes a declaration of war against the multipolar world project and against the BRICS group.

Only hours after news broke of President Nicolás Maduro’s abduction, President Xi Jinping convened an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, lasting exactly 120 minutes. No official statements were issued and no diplomatic threats were made. Instead, a silence preceding the storm prevailed, activating what Chinese strategists describe as a “comprehensive asymmetric response” to aggression targeting China’s partners in the Western Hemisphere.

Venezuela represents China’s strategic bridgehead into Latin America, within the very “backyard” of the United States.

The first phase of China’s response began at 9:15 a.m. on January 4, when the People’s Bank of China quietly announced the temporary suspension of all U.S. dollar transactions with companies linked to the American defense sector. Firms such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics awoke to the news that all dealings with China had been frozen, without prior warning.

At 11:43 a.m. the same day, the State Grid Corporation of China, operator of the world’s largest power grid, announced a comprehensive technical review of all contracts with U.S. suppliers of electrical equipment move effectively signaling the start of technological decoupling from the United States.

At 2:17 p.m., the China National Petroleum Corporation, the world’s largest state-owned oil company, announced a strategic reorganization of its global supply routes. This marked the reactivation of the “energy weapon,” through the cancellation of oil supply contracts to U.S. refineries worth $47 billion annually.

Oil previously destined for the U.S. East Coast was redirected to India, Brazil, South Africa, and other Global South partners, triggering a 23% surge in oil prices in a single trading session.

More importantly, the strategic message was unmistakable: China can choke the United States energetically without firing a single shot.

In another move, the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), which controls around 40% of global maritime shipping capacity, implemented what it termed “operational route optimization.” Chinese vessels began avoiding U.S. ports such as Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.

These ports heavily dependent on Chinese maritime logistics suddenly lost 35% of their usual container traffic, causing a severe shock to major corporations like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, whose supply chains partially collapsed within hours.

What stood out most was the synchronized timing of these measures, creating a cascading effect that exponentially magnified their economic impact. This was not a gradual escalation, but a systemic shock designed to disable America’s ability to respond.

Before Washington could fully absorb the blow, China activated another lever: mobilizing the Global South. At 4:22 p.m. on January 4, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi offered Brazil, India, South Africa, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, and 23 other countries immediate preferential trade terms, conditional upon their public refusal to recognize any Venezuelan government installed through U.S. support or intervention.

Within less than 24 hours, 19 countries accepted the offer, led by Brazil, followed by India, South Africa, and Mexico. The concept of a “functioning multipolar world” thus became a concrete reality.

China succeeded in instantly forming an anti-U.S. coalition by wielding economic incentives.

The “final touch” came on January 5, when Beijing activated the financial weapon. China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) announced an expansion of its operational capacity to process any international transaction seeking to bypass the U.S.-controlled SWIFT system.

China thus provided the world with a full-fledged and effective alternative to the Western financial system. Any state, company, or bank wishing to conduct trade without relying on U.S. financial infrastructure can now use the Chinese system, which is 97% faster and cheaper.

The response was immediate and overwhelming: within the first 48 hours, transactions totaling $89 billion were processed, and central banks in 34 countries opened operational accounts within the Chinese system—accelerating the de-dollarization of one of the United States’ key funding sources.

On the technological front, China controlling 60% of global rare earth production, vital to semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing announced temporary restrictions on exports of these minerals to any country that supported President Nicolás Maduro’s abduction.

This decision alarmed U.S. tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Intel, whose production systems could face severe disruption within weeks.

Every Chinese move strikes directly at the economic heart of the American empire.

“What did China do for Venezuela?” allies and adversaries alike ask. The answer is now clear: without declaring war, China acts, influences, and imposes new realities.