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Venezuela

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated on the northern coast of South America. Home to an estimated population of 29.1 million, it covers around 916,445 square kilometres which includes the Andes mountains and the Amazon Basin Rainforest. Its main export is oil. Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 but continued resistance led in 1811 to it becoming the first Spanish American country to declare independence. A chequered political history followed which saw dictatorships rise and fall, as well as military coups.

Capital

Caracas

Head of State

President Nicolás Maduro

Head of Government

President Nicolás Maduro

Relatives hold a vigil calling for the release of their loved ones outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela on Friday. On Sunday, a Venezuelan rights group ‍said 80 people considered political prisoners had been released. Photo: AP

US-Venezuela conflict

At least 80 political prisoners released in Venezuela, rights group leader says

Alfredo Romero, director of Foro Penal, said more releases are likely and interim president Rodriguez will verify release lists with the UN.

26 Jan 2026 - 1:30AMvideocam

China’s navy

What Chinese navy’s first Uruguay port call reveals about Beijing’s ambitions

25 Jan 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

United States

Opinion | US disregard of international law must not be tolerated

25 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump says US used secret ‘discombobulator’ weapon in Maduro raid

He said the device made enemy equipment ‘not work’, and the Venezuelan forces were unable to use their ‘Russian and Chinese rockets’.

25 Jan 2026 - 5:03AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photo: AP

US-China relations

What about Taiwan? Why US foreign policy is now all about the western hemisphere

The State Department skips direct references to the island as it outlines it foreign policy direction for the next five years.

24 Jan 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

United States

Macroscope | Distracted at Davos, leaders are ignoring one critical issue

More attention needs to be paid to the state of US and global finances.

24 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Asean

Asian Angle | What a US-China ‘grand bargain’ would mean for Southeast Asia

Washington’s Venezuela raid has resurrected old fears about ‘spheres of influence’, sounding alarm bells for Southeast Asian autonomy.

24 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping after their talks at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan on October 30, 2025. Photo: TNS

US-Venezuela conflict

US kills 2 in first known strike on alleged drug boat since Maduro’s capture

The attack left one survivor, and the coastguard has been notified to launch search and rescue operations.

24 Jan 2026 - 7:55AM

United States

Outside In | Why Trump’s Davos farce may come to be seen as a watershed

Whatever his motivations, he’s alarmed allies and made clear the old order based on a benign US is gone, even as his popularity slips at home.

23 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China’s births plunge, Trump’s Greenland pledge in Davos: 7 highlights

From China’s record-low birth count to what Trump said about Greenland at Davos, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

23 Jan 2026 - 12:30PM

A nurse feeds a newborn at a hospital in Nanjing, China. The nation’s birthrate plunged by double digits last year. Photo: Getty Images

United States

Opinion | From Venezuela to Greenland, Trump is using US power to rewrite the rules

What troubles many is the inconsistency emanating from Washington. When power underwrites rules, principles become negotiable.

23 Jan 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on January 19. Photo: AP

US-Venezuela conflict

US letting China buy Venezuela oil but not at ‘unfair’ Maduro prices: official

The US says it will control the Latin American nation’s oil sales indefinitely after seizing its leader.

23 Jan 2026 - 6:54AM

US-China relations

Opinion | China has Trump 2.0 to thank for emerging stronger in tech and trade

As intense US-China competition becomes the new normal, pressure has strengthened China’s capacity to adapt rather than deter it from its long-term ambitions.

22 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

US says Venezuela’s interim president to visit as relations shift post-Maduro

Delcy Rodriguez says she’s approaching any US talks ‘without fear’ after a senior US official said she would visit Washington soon.

22 Jan 2026 - 1:36PM

US President Donald Trump has so far appeared happy to allow Delcy Rodriguez and much of her government to remain in power. Photo: AFP

United States

Trump lays out Greenland-Arctic deal framework, pauses February tariffs

In his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US president vowed not to invade Greenland while slamming Nato and Europe.

22 Jan 2026 - 5:18AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump waves to the audience after his speech during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. Photo: AP

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

Trump tells Davos US must have Greenland but won’t use force – as it happened

US president boasted close ties with China’s Xi, vowed not to invade Greenland and slammed WEF host Switzerland in overtime speech.

22 Jan 2026 - 5:19AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | Why China’s response to Trump’s chaos will be to wait and watch

Although the US president’s destabilising actions might seem like an opportunity for Beijing, it is likely to opt for strategic patience.

21 Jan 2026 - 9:19PMvideocam

Donald Trump

How Asia’s economies could benefit from Trump’s global power plays

Countries such as Canada are looking to diversify their customers, particularly for oil and gas, with ‘a strong focus on Asia’, analysts say.

21 Jan 2026 - 6:56PM

An illustration shows a 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump, the EU flag and the word “Tariffs”. Photo: Reuters

Americas and the Caribbean

US forces seize seventh sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela

MV Sagitta is the latest ship linked to Venezuela that the US has captured since early December.

21 Jan 2026 - 1:01PM

US-China relations

Bessent cites trade progress after meeting China’s He Lifeng in Davos

US Treasury chief says rare earths are flowing and China is buying soybeans as talks move towards an April Trump-Xi meeting.

21 Jan 2026 - 4:13AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

China sends emergency food aid to Cuba as US sanctions worsen shortages

First batch of rice arrives in Cuba under new Chinese programme while the island reels from abrupt halt in Venezuelan oil shipments.

21 Jan 2026 - 6:19PMvideocam

Workers in Havana, Cuba stack donated rice that arrived from China on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

United States

Opinion | Why isn’t Trump learning from past foreign policy mistakes?

From Venezuela and Iran to Greenland and Canada, US interventions and threats risk spillovers and retaliation – as history shows.

20 Jan 2026 - 8:30PM

Donald Trump

Diversify or die: Asian firms face trade uncertainty amid Trump’s Mexico threats

The president’s call for strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia will add to the cost of trading with the US, analysts say.

20 Jan 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

China economy

Opinion | China’s focus is on stability as the US rocks the global boat

While Beijing has achieved its major economic goals for 2025, this year policymakers might be forced to focus on external crises and US foreign policy.

20 Jan 2026 - 10:10AMvideocam

Donald Trump

‘World is not secure’: Trump abandons ‘peace’ after Nobel snub, tells Norway PM

Trump says ‘World is not secure’ without US control of Greenland, as US president rejects peace-focused diplomacy in a blunt message to Norwegian PM.

19 Jan 2026 - 8:09PM

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club on January 13. Photo: TNS

United States

Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer

International relations scholar says US could easily take Greenland, while regime change in Tehran would be more difficult.

19 Jan 2026 - 6:57PMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Trump’s Venezuela raid a rude awakening for Russia and China

The US abduction of Venezuela’s president showed Russia could do little to protect its ally while China’s economic ties were put at risk.

19 Jan 2026 - 8:44AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

To win the geopolitical contest, a country needs ample resources, a self-sustaining production system – and the backing of a wider economic bloc.

18 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

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Venezuela

At least 80 political prisoners released in Venezuela, rights group leader says

Alfredo Romero, director of Foro Penal, said more releases are likely and interim president Rodriguez will verify release lists with the UN.

What Chinese navy’s first Uruguay port call reveals about Beijing’s ambitions

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | US disregard of international law must not be tolerated

Trump says US used secret ‘discombobulator’ weapon in Maduro raid

He said the device made enemy equipment ‘not work’, and the Venezuelan forces were unable to use their ‘Russian and Chinese rockets’.

What about Taiwan? Why US foreign policy is now all about the western hemisphere

The State Department skips direct references to the island as it outlines it foreign policy direction for the next five years.

Macroscope | Distracted at Davos, leaders are ignoring one critical issue

More attention needs to be paid to the state of US and global finances.

Asian Angle | What a US-China ‘grand bargain’ would mean for Southeast Asia

Washington’s Venezuela raid has resurrected old fears about ‘spheres of influence’, sounding alarm bells for Southeast Asian autonomy.

US kills 2 in first known strike on alleged drug boat since Maduro’s capture

The attack left one survivor, and the coastguard has been notified to launch search and rescue operations.

Outside In | Why Trump’s Davos farce may come to be seen as a watershed

Whatever his motivations, he’s alarmed allies and made clear the old order based on a benign US is gone, even as his popularity slips at home.

China’s births plunge, Trump’s Greenland pledge in Davos: 7 highlights

From China’s record-low birth count to what Trump said about Greenland at Davos, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Opinion | From Venezuela to Greenland, Trump is using US power to rewrite the rules

What troubles many is the inconsistency emanating from Washington. When power underwrites rules, principles become negotiable.

US letting China buy Venezuela oil but not at ‘unfair’ Maduro prices: official

The US says it will control the Latin American nation’s oil sales indefinitely after seizing its leader.

Opinion | China has Trump 2.0 to thank for emerging stronger in tech and trade

As intense US-China competition becomes the new normal, pressure has strengthened China’s capacity to adapt rather than deter it from its long-term ambitions.

US says Venezuela’s interim president to visit as relations shift post-Maduro

Delcy Rodriguez says she’s approaching any US talks ‘without fear’ after a senior US official said she would visit Washington soon.

Trump lays out Greenland-Arctic deal framework, pauses February tariffs

In his speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US president vowed not to invade Greenland while slamming Nato and Europe.

Trump tells Davos US must have Greenland but won’t use force – as it happened

US president boasted close ties with China’s Xi, vowed not to invade Greenland and slammed WEF host Switzerland in overtime speech.

Opinion | Why China’s response to Trump’s chaos will be to wait and watch

Although the US president’s destabilising actions might seem like an opportunity for Beijing, it is likely to opt for strategic patience.

How Asia’s economies could benefit from Trump’s global power plays

Countries such as Canada are looking to diversify their customers, particularly for oil and gas, with ‘a strong focus on Asia’, analysts say.

US forces seize seventh sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela

MV Sagitta is the latest ship linked to Venezuela that the US has captured since early December.

Bessent cites trade progress after meeting China’s He Lifeng in Davos

US Treasury chief says rare earths are flowing and China is buying soybeans as talks move towards an April Trump-Xi meeting.

China sends emergency food aid to Cuba as US sanctions worsen shortages

First batch of rice arrives in Cuba under new Chinese programme while the island reels from abrupt halt in Venezuelan oil shipments.

Opinion | Why isn’t Trump learning from past foreign policy mistakes?

From Venezuela and Iran to Greenland and Canada, US interventions and threats risk spillovers and retaliation – as history shows.

Diversify or die: Asian firms face trade uncertainty amid Trump’s Mexico threats

The president’s call for strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia will add to the cost of trading with the US, analysts say.

Opinion | China’s focus is on stability as the US rocks the global boat

While Beijing has achieved its major economic goals for 2025, this year policymakers might be forced to focus on external crises and US foreign policy.

‘World is not secure’: Trump abandons ‘peace’ after Nobel snub, tells Norway PM

Trump says ‘World is not secure’ without US control of Greenland, as US president rejects peace-focused diplomacy in a blunt message to Norwegian PM.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer

International relations scholar says US could easily take Greenland, while regime change in Tehran would be more difficult.

Opinion | Trump’s Venezuela raid a rude awakening for Russia and China

The US abduction of Venezuela’s president showed Russia could do little to protect its ally while China’s economic ties were put at risk.

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

To win the geopolitical contest, a country needs ample resources, a self-sustaining production system – and the backing of a wider economic bloc.

Opinion | US disregard of international law must not be tolerated

Open Questions | Why US raid on Venezuela could ‘work to China’s advantage’: John Mearsheimer