The US military forcibly boarded a Chinese supertanker, and this matter is serious!
In the early morning of December 20, the low roar of a US military MH-60T helicopter broke the peace over the Caribbean.
The helicopter hovered over a 333-meter-long supertanker, and fully armed coast guard members descended onto the deck via ropes, without presenting any search warrants, without mentioning UN authorization, and without even notifying the shipowner. They forcibly controlled the crew and took over the entire ship solely based on the statement 'suspected of transporting sanctioned oil.'
This is a display of US hegemony in front of the entire world. The ship carries 2 million barrels of crude oil, legally purchased by a Chinese company from Venezuela. The ship is also legally operated by a Hong Kong company and flies the flag of Panama.
What basis does the US have to arbitrarily seize ships in international waters? Nothing at all, just relying on brute force.
The seized 'Century' oil tanker is not on the US sanctions list, and the transport contract is lawful and transparent, having violated no international rules from start to finish.
The US military's operation couldn't even produce a proper seizure order. When questioned later, they could only come up with excuses like 'checking the validity of Panama registration' to evade accountability.
This is the second ship the US military has seized in the same waters within 10 days. On December 10, they had just seized a tanker bound for Cuba, and the crude oil on board was later directly transferred to a US refinery, becoming part of their strategic reserves.
This seemingly crazy action by the US is backed by careful calculations.
This is aimed at Venezuela, a country with the world's largest oil reserves, whose economy relies entirely on oil exports. The US has long sought to overthrow the local government and has been imposing sanctions since 2019, prohibiting other countries from doing oil business with Venezuela.
The two ship seizures within 10 days aim to completely block Venezuela's oil export routes, cutting off their economic lifeline and forcing the government to collapse. Trump had previously made public statements threatening a 'comprehensive blockade' on all tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, even claiming to seize more ships, with an arrogantly aggressive attitude.
Of course, there are deeper intentions targeting China behind this. Over the years, China and Venezuela have cooperated closely; we provide them with loans, and they repay us with oil. Many transactions are settled in RMB, and now over 85% of Venezuela's exported oil is sold to China.
This not only ensures our energy security but also helps the RMB circulate better internationally, which is something the US does not want to see.
They aim to create panic through ship seizures, deterring other countries from doing oil business with China and Venezuela, thereby curtailing China's energy strategy and the internationalization of the RMB. In simple terms, they cannot stand to see others cooperating well and can only rely on rogue tactics to destroy.
While the US claims to act 'according to the sanctions order,' they disregard even the basic rules of international law.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the high seas are the common property of all humanity, and ships flying the flag of a country are under that country's jurisdiction. Other countries have no right to board and seize ships at will.
The 'Century' flies the flag of Panama, and it is not up to the US to dictate terms. The Vice President of Venezuela has directly exposed their true nature, condemning this as 'piratical behavior on the high seas,' and is now preparing to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council to defend their rights.
In the face of such hegemonic behavior, China's stance is very clear. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that it opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction,' and will resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests.
Today's China is no longer the same as it was during the 1993 'Yinhe' incident, when the US made baseless accusations against our cargo ship for transporting prohibited goods, forcibly boarded it for inspection, and ultimately found no evidence without offering an apology. Now, we have sufficient strength and confidence to defend our rights through various means such as diplomacy and law, and we will never allow US hegemonic tactics to succeed.
The US's seizure of the ship, while seeming to have taken some oil, has actually embarrassed a major nation and further undermined global shipping and trade order. Previously, it was generally accepted that lawful navigation in international waters was safe, but now the US has set a bad precedent, making future business dealings nerve-wracking for all countries.
Moreover, the international community does not buy their narrative; Mexico has called for UN intervention, Cuba has directly condemned the US military as 'maritime terrorism,' and Russia has openly supported Venezuela, with more and more countries seeing through US hegemony.