BEIJING, December 25. /TASS/. China views Washington’s potential measures to impose a blockade on Venezuela as unacceptable, He Yongqian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, said at a news briefing.

"China has consistently and firmly opposed the abuse of unilateral sanctions and so-called `long-arm jurisdiction’ by certain countries," she said, commenting on media reports about US plans to intercept oil tankers off Venezuela.

According to He, Beijing believes that a US blockade "could not only disrupt the normal functioning of international energy markets, but also pose additional security risks." The spokesperson described the way how Venezuela conducts economic and trade cooperation with other countries within the framework of international law as "normal, reasonable and lawful," as she called on the US side to respect the Latin American country’s rights.

The United States intends to maintain a naval blockade of Venezuela for at least two months, preventing the passage of oil tankers to and from this country, Reuters reported earlier, citing an American official.