Why US giant Chevron, not China, may save oil-rich Venezuela

Speculation over President Nicolas Maduro's political future has intensified after US forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country's coast. The incident on Wednesday underscored Washington's longstanding interest in a nation that holds the world's largest proven oil reserves — an interest shared, albeit for different reasons, by China.

"Whoever comes to power, I can assure you, the first call will be Trump, but the second will be Xi Jinping," said Parsifal D'Sola Alvarado, a specialist in China–Latin America relations.

D'Sola Alvarado heads the Fundacion Andres Bello (Latin American-Chinese Research Center) based in Bogota, Colombia and the Spanish capital, Madrid. He previously worked with Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, where he managed contacts with Chinese officials.

Speaking with DW, D'Sola Alvarado said he doubts China would stand firmly behind Maduro in the event of a confrontation with Washington.

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