Trump invites China to tap Venezuela’s oil to recover billions in loans
Trump
Abdullateef Fowewe
In an overture amid United States negotiations over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, President Donald Trump signaled openness to China reclaiming its massive loans to the crisis-hit nation through discounted energy purchases.
Responding to a reporter’s question—“Is China going to get their money back from all the money it lent to Venezuela?”—
Trump replied affirmatively, framing it as a win-win, “China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal in oil. You know, we welcome China. We’ve already made a deal.”
Trump highlighted emerging U.S.-led deals redirecting global oil flows, noting India’s pivot away from sanctioned suppliers.
“India is coming in and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So we’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal. But China’s welcome to come in and buy oil,” he added.
The comments come as Venezuela owes China an estimated $10-20 billion from loans dating back over a decade, largely backed by oil pledges that faltered amid economic collapse and U.S. sanctions. .
Trump’s invitation could reshape creditor dynamics, potentially easing tensions while bolstering U.S. leverage in the region.
