China: Defend Venezuela! Resist America!

Trump’s naked imperialist aggression in Venezuela is a staggering blow, not only to the masses of Latin America and the Global South but to the People’s Republic of China as well. The U.S. pirates are seizing oil supplies mainly bound for China and demanding the ouster of Chinese, Russian, Cuban and Iranian advisers from Venezuela. And what is the response of the Communist Party of China (CPC)? Nothing but speeches about “international law” and pledges to maintain their economic ties, just like they did nothing to stop the Gaza genocide.

The more the CPC acts like a paper tiger, the more this encourages the depredations of the U.S. as it tries to prop up its crumbling hegemony. Toppling Maduro was a stepping stone for its plans to sink the Cuban Revolution and force Iran and other recalcitrant regimes into submission. All this is to prepare the ground for confronting the People’s Republic head-on.

The empty words from the BRICS+ chastising Trump show once again their prostration before the U.S. What’s needed instead is a united anti-imperialist front based on the world’s workers and oppressed peoples. The Chinese people did not secure their liberation through United Nations resolutions or “win-win” negotiations but through bitter struggle against imperialism. China has the power to lead such a fight now. But its leaders resist this course because they embrace all the bankrupt institutions of the dying liberal world order. It’s high time to change course!

• China used its economic muscle to push back against Trump’s tariffs. Today, if it stops rare earths from reaching U.S. shores, it could force Trump to release Maduro and make him think twice before his next rampage.
• China sits on trillions in foreign reserves. It should send a good chunk to Cuba, along with engineers to help rebuild its infrastructure.
• China has built up massive military power to defend the mainland against Japanese and U.S. aggression. Good! Now use it to resist the imperialists in the Caribbean and the Persian Gulf! This would not be an “imperialist” move but a way to protect the world from the real imperialists.

There is a lot of silly talk in China that the humiliation of Maduro shows how the PLA could swoop into Taiwan and seize President Lai Ching-te. This bombast is just a way to save face after China’s utter capitulation. In fact, the quick U.S. victory in Venezuela will strengthen U.S. encirclement of China, not least over Taiwan.

The best way to defend the People’s Republic is for China to lead an anti-imperialist struggle that could win the hearts and minds of billions in the Global South and encourage workers in the U.S. and Japan to fight back against the imperialists at home. Key to this strategy is the Chinese proletariat. With its central role in global production, mobilizing this force could choke off the imperialists’ profits and change the whole reactionary dynamic they’re imposing on the world. CPC: Stop kowtowing! Fight imperialism!