"China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday that Beijing will continue to deepen its economic cooperation with Latin American countries in an act of 'solidarity' following the US operation in Venezuela. "China will continue to work with Latin American countries in solidarity to address changes in the international landscape," said He Yadong, the ministry's spokesperson. "[We will] carry out economic and trade cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and achieve shared development," he continued. The spokesperson emphasised that China's bilateral engagement with Latin America is grounded in 'principles of equality and mutual benefit.' "We do not seek spheres of influence, nor do we target any third party. Strong economic complementarity forms the solid foundation of China-Latin America cooperation," He stressed. Earlier, US President Donald Trump declared that interim authorities in Venezuela would be turning over between "30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality, sanctioned oil" to the United States. State Secretary Marco Rubio said the US would retain control over how Venezuela's oil revenue is spent, claiming the funds will be directed to 'benefit the Venezuelan people.' China is Venezuela's largest oil buyer, providing a vital source of export revenue for the Latin American economy amid US sanctions. The US launched strikes on Venezuela at the weekend, grabbing president Nicolas Maduro. Trump vowed to 'run' the country and send in the oil companies, warning the interim government they could suffer a fate 'worse than Maduro' if they didn't comply. The operation saw widespread condemnation across BRICS, the Global South and beyond."