China firmly opposes U.S. manipulation of so-called "general license" to restrict China-Venezuela cooperation: spokesperson

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the United States' manipulation of the so-called "general license" to restrict China-Venezuela cooperation, and China's lawful rights and interests in Venezuela must be safeguarded, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing when responding to a related query. "What the United States should do is immediately lift its illegal unilateral sanctions on Venezuela, rather than manipulate the so-called 'general license' to whitewash its actions that undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all parties concerned, including Venezuela," Mao said.