(MENAFN) China on Tuesday defended its relationship with Venezuela as “sovereign” and criticized what it called “excessive” U.S. operations targeting vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

“The cooperation between China and Venezuela does not target any third party and is not subject to disruption or influence from any third party,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said during a Beijing news conference.

Mao was addressing questions about Venezuela, led by President Nicholas Maduro, reportedly “seeking missiles, drones, and other military equipment from China, Russia, and Iran to prevent possible attacks by the US.”

“China has a clear-cut stance on the US cracking down on so-called drug cartels by force in the Caribbean Sea,” Mao said, voicing support for “the efforts of combating cross-border crimes through stronger international cooperation” while opposing the use of force in international relations.

She added that Beijing “stands against the moves that undermine peace and stability in the LAC (Latin American) region and opposes unilateral and excessive enforcement operations against other countries’ vessels.”

Since September, Washington has launched more than a dozen strikes on alleged narco-trafficking vessels, mainly in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 64 people.

“We hope the US will engage in normal law enforcement and judicial cooperation through bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks,” Mao said.

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