China's Venezuela Bet in Jeopardy After Maduro's Capture

For years, China was one of the few major investors in Venezuela's troubled economy. This was while many other nations imposed strict sanctions on the country. Now, the sudden capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces puts those Chinese investments at risk. The arrest happened just hours after Maduro met with Chinese diplomats to reaffirm their countries' partnership. Chinese companies have poured billions of dollars into Venezuela, primarily in oil and mining. These deals were secured under Maduro's government and previous leader Hugo Chávez. Experts say a new Venezuelan government could review or cancel these contracts. This would threaten China's significant financial and resource interests in the country. The situation leaves Beijing facing major uncertainty over its strategic projects in Venezuela.