The U.S. attack on Venezuela will embolden China to strengthen its territorial claims over areas such as Taiwan and parts of the South China Sea but will not hasten any potential invasion of Taiwan, analysts said.

As China condemns the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, analysts say the implications for Beijing run far deeper across Latin America.

President Donald Trump’s dramatic move to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro could ultimately benefit China in its competition with the United States, analysts say, even though Beijing has forcefully condemned the military intervention.

One of the clearest reasons for cautious stability in China-U.S. relations in 2026 lies in the trajectory of the preceding year. In many respects, 2025 marked a phase of resilience for China – one in which pressure was absorbed, expectations stabilized, and the terms of competition subtly shifted.

US President Donald Trump is meeting US Ambassador to China David Perdue at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday, rounding off a day of diplomacy that began with a call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

China has bought at least 8 million tons of US soybeans this year, according to people familiar with the matter, putting the world’s top importer on track to meet a pledge it made two months ago as part of an apparent trade truce with Washington.

Unlike its Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union, Washington’s rivalry with Beijing is constrained by mutual dependence and the high costs of economic separation.

Explore the US-China tech rivalry across semiconductors, AI, and energy. Discover key strengths, challenges, and global stakes.

China-Taiwan tensions reach new heights as Beijing conducts largest military drills, responding to massive $11 billion U.S. arms package for Taipei.

Hours after President Xi Jinping posed for selfies with South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung in Beijing, China sent a very different message to Japan, escalating their dispute by imposing export controls.

Democrats are grappling with how best to respond to the Trump administration’s military intervention in Venezuela, as the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro highlighted foreign policy differences within the party and distracted from its focus on affordability issues.