China fordert Freilassung Maduros und hält an Öl-Geschäften mit Venezuela fest

BERLINER ZEITUNG: China verschärft nach der Festnahme von Maduro den Ton gegenüber den USA. Zugleich signalisiert Peking, dass es seine Interessen in Venezuela nicht preisgeben will.

China hat nach der Festnahme von Nicolás Maduro durch US-Spezialeinheiten seine Kritik an Washington verschärft und zugleich signalisiert, dass Peking an den Beziehungen zu Venezuela festhalten will. Außenamtssprecher Lin Jian erklärte am Montag, China sei „zutiefst besorgt“ über die Festnahme Madurós und dessen Abtransport in die USA.

Das Vorgehen der USA verstoße gegen Völkerrecht, grundlegende Normen internationaler Beziehungen sowie gegen Ziele und Prinzipien der Charta der Vereinten Nationen, heißt es in einer Mitschrift des chinesischen Außenministeriums, über die unter anderem die South China Morning Post berichtet. Peking forderte die USA außerdem auf, die Sicherheit von Maduro und seiner Ehefrau zu gewährleisten und beide sofort freizulassen. » | Alexander Schmalz | Montag, 5. Januar 2026

Australian Beef Industry ‘Extremely Disappointed’ after China Hits Imports with 55% Tariff

THE GUARDIAN: Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industry

Australian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.

China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall in 2024.

The new annual quota levels are set below import levels for the first 11 months of 2025 for Australia as well as its top supplier, Brazil.

“The increase in the amount of imported beef has seriously damaged China’s domestic industry,” the ministry said in announcing the measure after an investigation launched last December.

The measure takes effect on 1 January for three years, with the total quota increasing annually. » | Martin Farrer and Dan Jervis-Bardy | Thursday, January 1, 2026

Michael Lambert: The West Takes It Easy Whilst China Plans Decades Ahead

Dec 28, 2025 | As we close out 2025, the sense of global anxiety is at an all-time high. From the re-election of Donald Trump to the structural decline of the UK and EU economies, it feels like the Western world is stuck in a loop of short-term thinking and bureaucratic failure.

Meanwhile, China continues its relentless rise. In this year-end reflection, I break down why our politicians are failing us, why the "HS2 mentality" is destroying UK infrastructure, and what we need to do to find a sustainable way forward in 2026. …

Russia and China Pledge Support for Venezuela as Trump Ratchets Up Pressure on Maduro

THE GUARDIAN: Trump again called for Venezuela’s president to leave power and said the US would keep or sell the oil it had seized

China and Russia have expressed support for Venezuela as it confronts a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, while Donald Trump continues to ramp up his pressure campaign on the South American country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.

Amid reports of slowing activity at Venezuelan ports, the US president again called for Maduro to leave power, and reiterated that the US would keep or sell the oil it had seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.

Asked if the goal was to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: “I think it’d be smart for him to do that,” before adding “if he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”

After Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela last week, tanker loading at the country’s ports has slowed, with most ships moving oil cargoes only between domestic ports, according to the Reuters news agency. The number of loaded tankers that have not departed has increased in recent days, leaving millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil stuck on board ships, while customers demand deeper discounts and contract changes to take risky voyages beyond the country’s waters.

China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the seizure of another country’s ships was a serious violation of international law, after the US intercepted a China-bound oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast on Saturday. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Tuesday, December 23, 2025

’He’s the Worst President in My Political Lifetime’ | Former BBC Chair on Donald Trump

Dec 21, 2025 | “Trump is appalling. He’s the worst president of the United States in my political lifetime.”

Trump thinks the law is a way he can “take revenge on people who have disagreed with him”, says former Hong Kong governor and Conservative peer Chris Patten.

How MAGA Destroyed the Republican Party | A Conversation with Adam Kinzinger

Nov 1, 2025 | Since Trump's entry into politics, the Republican Party has been taken down in favor of MAGA values. Steve Schmidt sits down with Adam Kinzinger to discuss Trump's dealings with China and the future of the Republican Party.

Ben Norton: The Shocking Truth about America’s Plans for Venezuela

Oct 24, 2025 | Geopolitical Analyst Ben Norton joins the show to discuss Venezuela

Trumps Krieg gegen Südamerika: Die USA wollen China vom Kontinent vertreiben – mit allen Mitteln

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Bombardements und CIA-Operationen: Trump greift zum Äußersten, um Chinas Einfluss in Südamerika zurückzudrängen. Eine Analyse.

Donald Trump hat Lateinamerika seit seinem Amtsantritt zu einem zentralen Schauplatz der US-Außenpolitik gemacht. Ziel der US-Regierung ist es, Chinas in den vergangenen Jahren stark gewachsenen Einfluss in der Region zurückzudrängen. Wie offensiv die Trump-Administration dabei mittlerweile vorgeht, zeigen mehrere Beispiel der vergangenen Tage. Für die von den USA traditionell als „Hinterhof“ gesehene Region könnte das brandgefährlich werden.

Besonders um Venezuela spitzt sich die Lage derzeit zu. Am Mittwoch berichtete die New York Times, Trump habe die CIA dazu autorisiert, verdeckte Operationen in dem südamerikanischen Land durchzuführen. Möglich wären Maßnahmen gegen den venezolanischen Präsidenten Nicolás Maduro oder Mitglieder seiner Regierung. Auch die Unterstützung einer größeren Militäroperation durch die CIA fiele unter die Befugnis. » | Frederic Schnatterer | Samstag, 18. Oktober 2025

Navidi: Trump-Forderung "ist absolute Frechheit und Zumutung"

Sep 16, 2025 | US-Präsident Donald Trump fordert von der EU, drastische Zölle auf Produkte aus China und Indien zu verhängen - bis zu 100 Prozent. Die US-Wirtschaftsexpertin Sandra Navidi hält dies für willkürlich und gefährlich - und warnt vor einer Eskalationsspirale im globalen Handel.

US-Venezuela Standoff Intensifies after US Attack on Boat Trump Says Carried Drugs | DW News

Sep 5, 2025 | There is a deepening standoff between the United States and Venezuela, an oil rich country, backed by America's biggest economic rival: China.

After this week's deadly US strike in the Caribbean -- an attack that killed 11 people on a boat US President Trump says was carrying illicit drugs from Venezuela -- his Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the US is going to wage war on what he called narco-terrorists organizations.

In Caracas, the Venezualan President Nicolas Maduro says 'imperialism is launching a new attack' aimed at regime change. He insists his country will stand firm -- but to do that, will China have to step in?

Pivotal Regional Powers Are Turning Away from America and toward China

Sep 7, 2025 | CNN’s Fareed Zakaria speaks with The Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum about China calling attention to its growing global strength, with a huge military parade and a summit between China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Is China the World's Greatest Military Superpower?

Sep 5, 2025 | The People’s Liberation Army put on one of the largest military displays in China’s modern history this week as the country marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War.

Trump Accuses Xi Jinping, Putin, and Kim Jong Un of 'Conspiring' against the US | DW News

Sep 4, 2025 | China marked 80 years since Japan's surrender in the Second World War with its largest ever parade on Wednesday - a two-hour show of national unity, diplomatic depth and military might. President Xi was the star of the show. He traveled in an open-top car and wore a Mao-style suit as a tribute to the founding father of the People’s Republic. His guests were a rogue’s gallery of leaders who reject the American-led world order, among them Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who rarely leaves his country. Also on display was an array of military hardware, some of it never seen before. Xi cast himself as the leader of a new world order and characterized his country as “unstoppable” in a speech delivered at Wednesday’s parade.

World Leaders Snub Trump at Beijing Military Parade, as Putin, Kim and Xi Mark the End of WW2

Sep 4, 2025 | Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who made a rare foreign trip to attend, flanked President Xi as they ascended to the viewing platform overlooking Tiananmen Square and watched the display of military hardware and marching troops. Observers say the joint appearance was a show of unity against the United States.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

This Is How Trump Just Got Triply Humiliated | The Daily Beast Podcast

Sept 4, 2025 | The Daily Beast’s brilliant columnist David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to examine Donald Trump’s disastrous week on the world stage. From being overheard on a hot mic talking about deals with Vladimir Putin, to Modi undercutting his peacemaker myth, to world leaders gathering in China without him, Trump finds himself without a seat on the world stage. They explore how his failed military parade compares to China’s massive display of power, how his fixation on the Rose Garden reveals his petty interests, and how his “Gaza Riviera” plan turns tragedy into a dark and twisted real estate play. The conversation shows how China and others are moving forward while Trump obsesses over himself and the past.

Putin and Xi Heading towards ‘More Aggressive’ War | Former Head of MI6

Sep 3, 2025 | “You can see the manoeuvring that’s been carried out particularly by China and Russia to create a new international security system, that’s the problem at the moment.”

“We should be concerned about the reconfiguration of global security”, says former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove, as it could become a “more aggressive confrontation in the future.”

Russland, China, Iran: Front gegen den Westen | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Sep 3, 2025 | Russland, China und der Iran – die drei autokratischen Staaten sind Nachfolger zerfallener Imperien und versuchen heute, ihre einstige Macht zurückerlangen. Seit Beginn des Ukrainekrieges treten sie international als Verbündete auf, geeint durch gemeinsame Ziele: das Zurückdrängen der westlichen Hegemonie. Welches sind ihre Ziele?

Was verbindet Russland, China und den Iran? Die drei autokratischen Staaten sind Nachfolger zerfallener Imperien und versuchen heute, ihre einstige Macht wiederherzustellen. Seit der russischen Invasion in die Ukraine im Februar 2022 treten die Länder international als Verbündete auf und stellen sich erstmals geschlossen gegen ihren gemeinsamen Feind – den Westen.

Die Ablehnung der USA gehört zum propagierten Selbstverständnis der drei Länder und bildet einen Grundstein ihrer Zusammenarbeit. Nach jahrelanger Annäherung schließen die Regimes von Russland, China und dem Iran sich in Bündnissen zusammen, um in der Weltpolitik mehr Gewicht zu erlangen. Ihre gemeinsamen Ziele sind klar: die Erhaltung ihrer Macht und die Wiederherstellung ihrer früheren Einflussbereiche im Nahen Osten, Eurasien und Südasien.

So beginnt zugleich auch ein Kampf gegen das politische System des Westens und das internationale Rechtssystem, das nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zum Schutz des Friedens und der Menschenrechte eingeführt wurde. Das selbsternannte „Bündnis für das Gute“ führt einen hybriden Krieg mit militärischen, technologischen, wirtschaftlichen, geostrategischen und propagandistischen Mitteln.

Sie umgehen internationale Sanktionen, unterstützen sich gegenseitig in den Kriegen in der Ukraine und in Israel und agieren gemeinsam als BRICS-Staaten oder Shanghaier Organisation für Zusammenarbeit. Wie beeinflusst die antiwestliche Front aus Russland, China und dem Iran die aktuelle Weltpolitik?

Dokumentarfilm von Sophie Lepault (F 2024, 94 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 14/01/2026

Xi Jinping Says World Faces ‘Peace or War’, as Putin and Kim Join Him for Military Parade

THE GUARDIAN: Trump criticises victory day event as China caps off week of diplomatic grandstanding seen as rebuke to west

Xi Jinping said the world was facing a choice between peace or war as he held China’s largest-ever military parade, joined by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un in a show of defiance to the west.

Putin and Kim, the authoritarian leaders of Russia and North Korea, were among dozens of world leaders who attended the parade, a massive display of military hardware and personnel, orchestrated to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, which China calls the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

“Today, humanity is again faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum,” Xi told the crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, adding that the Chinese people “firmly stand on the right side of history”.

He said China was a great nation that “is never intimidated by any bullies” in an apparent veiled reference to the US and its allies and warned that China was “unstoppable”. » | Helen Davidson in Taipei | Wednesday, September 3, 2025

«La renaissance de la nation chinoise est inarrêtable», assure Xi Jinping : Le président chinois a déclaré mercredi que la Chine était «inarrêtable» lors d’un discours devant une immense parade militaire à Pékin. »

Putin Hails Ties with China as Kim Jong-un Arrives in Beijing on Eve of Parade

THE GUARDIAN: Russian president says relations at ‘unprecedentedly high level’ as dozens of leaders gather for Victory Day events

Vladimir Putin has hailed Russia’s “unprecedentedly” high level of ties with China, as dozens of leaders including the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, arrived in Beijing on the eve of a massive military parade intended to showcase a Chinese-led global order.

Putin called China’s leader, Xi Jinping, a “dear friend” after the two held talks at the Great Hall of the People and then at Xi’s personal residence. “Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level,” Putin told Xi, according to a video on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel. “We were always together then, and we remain together now.”

Putin, described by Xi on Tuesday as his “old friend”, is the most prominent of a roster of autocrats who have gathered in China this week for a double bill of events designed to project the might of the world’s second-biggest economy and geopolitical rival to the US.

Hours after the Putin-Xi talks, Kim arrived in China in an armoured train accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who was making her international debut after years of being seen next to him at domestic events and is considered by South Korean intelligence to be her father’s most likely successor.

A Kremlin aide told the Russian Interfax news agency that Putin was likely to hold talks with Kim on Wednesday. » | Amy Hawkins | Tuesday, August 2, 2025

Putin ‘Is the Devil’ and Trump Must Deal with Him as ‘Marvel Villains’ Assemble

Sep 2, 2025 | “He is the devil…steps to bring the devil to toe, to the negotiating table, I would applaud.”

As Putin gets “even more aggressive” in Ukraine, his ‘anti-Nato’ summit with the leaders of Iran, India, and China resembles a “Marvel Comics villains meeting”, says former State Department official in Trump’s first term Matthew Bartlett.