SHANGHAI/BEIJING: The US attack on Venezuela will embolden China to strengthen its territorial claims over areas such as Taiwan and parts of the South China Sea but will not hasten any potential invasion of Taiwan, analysts said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s considerations about Taiwan and his timeline are separate from the situation in Latin America, influenced more by China’s domestic situation than by US actions, they said.
Still, analysts said, President Donald Trump’s audacious attack on Saturday, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, hands China an unexpected opportunity that Beijing will likely use in the near term to amplify criticism of Washington and bolster its own standing on the international stage.
• China could leverage US strikes to strengthen its claims over Taiwan, South China Sea islands — analysts
• US attack an opportunity for China to boost criticism of Washington
