Venezuela border controversy China respects all nations’ sovereignty, territorial integrity – diplomat

Commenting on the ongoing border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown, Huang Rui, says that China respects every country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China, which share strong economic ties with both Guyana and Venezuela, is yet to pronounce on the decades-old border controversy between the two South American nations – something which the Chinese Embassy official explained is in keeping with his country’s foreign policy.
“If you actually follow up the Chinese foreign policies – all those policies [for] as long as possible, you will see, first of all, we’ve never intervened in the internal affairs of any nation, and the second principle is we actually respect all nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Huang told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Chinese diplomat was at the time responding to questions specifically about Venezuela’s recent incursion into Guyana’s water, where the Chinese state-owned, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is one of the partners operating in the prolific Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.
Venezuela is claiming two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region – and a portion of the its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore.
After failed good offices process through the United Nations and based on the recommendation of the then UN Secretary General, Guyana approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March 2018, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award that demarcated the boundaries between the two nations.
Despite the matter still pending before the World Court and the two South American neighbours signing the historic Argyle Declaration – a December 2023 peace pact, Venezuela continues to use aggressive tactics against Guyana.
CNOOC
The latest being on March 1, 2025, when a Venezuelan naval vessel entered Guyana’s waters and threatened several vessels operated by the Stabroek Block partners including the Chinese state-owned oil company.
CNOOC holds a 25 per cent interest in the oil rich-Stabroek Block, which United States oil giant, ExxonMobil, operates with a majority interest of 45 per cent, while Hess Corporation has the remaining 30 per cent interest.
While he did not respond to the recent threats from Venezuela, the Chinese Embassy official did highlight the important role that CNOOC plays in the oil and gas industry and by extension, Guyana’s economic transformation.
Currently, the CNOOC headquarters in Georgetown employees about 18 persons of which some 50 per cent are Guyanese. Meanwhile, under the Stabroek Block partnership, over 6000 jobs were generated for Guyanese at the end of 2024, making locals the dominant workforce within the oil and gas industry.
But in addition to creating employment, the Chinese Embassy official pointed out that the CNOOC also play key role in skills development.
“They also provide some scholarships… From 2023 to 2027, [in cooperation] with the Guyana’s Natural Resources Ministry, they will provide scholarships for 20 Guyanese to not only train [but] to get degrees in China,” he noted.
According to the Chinese diplomat, CNOOC also shoulders it cooperate social responsibility primarily in four areas – education, energy, security and in indigenous communities.
“CNOOC has developed around 50 projects and invested more than US$2 million,” he noted, adding that the Chinese oil company has also invested another US$0.1 billion into the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) – a 10-year plan by the Stabroek Block partners that is geared towards empowering the Guyanese workforce.
China on border controversy
On Wednesday the embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires made a comment about friendly relations with Venezuela to address the issue, which sparked outraged from Guyanese on social media including several politicians. While China has traditionally refrain from commenting on the border controversy, it had previously called for peace to prevail between Guyana and Venezuela back in December 2023.
These remarks were made by China’s former Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, at a December 6, 2023, press conference during which he was asked by French news agency AFP about the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy.
The former spokesman was asked whether China, a “firm” ally of Venezuela while also maintaining friendly relations with Guyana, supported Venezuela’s unjust claims on Guyana’s territory, and whether the country was worried about a possible invasion.
In response, Wenbin had said, “Venezuela and Guyana are both China’s good friends. China always respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. China always supports the two countries in properly settling the issue of demarcation of their boundary through friendly consultation. This is in the interests of the people of both countries, and conducive to the stability, cooperation and development of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Only recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali has ruled out talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, after Caracas announced plans earlier this year to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region on May 25, 2020 – something that has been widely criticised, along with the incursion, by the international community.
Moreover, the Guyana Government has already written the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to block these illegal elections. In response, the World Court has asked Venezuela to explain its actions, which violates a December 2023 order issued by the ICJ to refrain the Spanish-speaking nation from threatening Guyana.