China opposes interference in Venezuelan affairs

China on Thursday said it opposes outside interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, calling upon all parties in the country to seek a political solution through peaceful dialogue within the nation's constitutional framework.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks after Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, announced his decision to break diplomatic ties with the United States following the Trump administration's recognition of opposition leader, Juan Guaido, as the South American country's interim president.

China supports the efforts of the Venezuelan government to safeguard national sovereignty, independence and stability, the spokesperson said, calling for all parties in Venezuela to maintain calm.

The US and Venezuela are both important countries in the western hemisphere and enjoy close traditional relations, she said.

"We hope that Venezuela and the United States can respect and treat each other on an equal footing, and deal with their relations based on non-interference in each other's internal affairs," she said, adding that it is in line with the interests of both countries and their people, and will help safeguard peace and stability in the American region.

Hua said China opposes "external intervention in Venezuela”. China hopes the international community will jointly create favorable conditions to prevent this, she added.

Outside sanctions and intervention will complicate the situation and would not be helpful resolving the actual problems, she said.