Zhao Lijian
 

 China will carry out cooperation with Venezuela even if the situation changes, and such cooperation is based on mutual benefit, equal footing and commercial principles, and is in line with relevant laws, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Zhao's comments come after a US Treasury Department spokesperson reportedly said that "those engaged in activity in the Venezuelan oil sector risk exposure to sanctions." Reuters reported that Venezuela state company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has resumed direct shipments of oil to China despite US sanctions, citing data from an industry platform. 

The report said that two state-owned companies — China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and PetroChina — had stopped importing crude oil and fuel from Venezuela in August 2019.

Venezuela remains an important partner of China in Latin America, according to Zhao. He also noted that bilateral cooperation between China and Venezuela benefits people in both countries.

In the first five months of the year, China's trade with Venezuela went down 77.8 percent to $756.96 million, customs data showed.