The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an audacious Caracas raid in January 2026 and the US-Israeli air war that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump's actions suggest that all his moves are aimed to put Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the back foot ahead of his upcoming summit with Xi. For the second time in as many months, Trump has turned America's military against one of Beijing's close partners.
The pattern suggests that US pressure on Tehran and Caracas has had the collateral and, most certainly, intended effect of constraining Beijing's long-term energy security. Whether that constitutes the primary motive is debatable, but the strategic overlap is unmistakable.
China is the world's largest crude oil importer, consuming roughly 15 million barrels per day (bpd) and importing over 10 million bpd in recent years. Approximately 70–75% of its crude is imported, and a substantial portion comes from geopolitically sensitive suppliers, including Iran and Venezuela — both heavily sanctioned by Washington. The structural alignment is difficult to ignore.
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