ISTANBUL

China on Tuesday said that Beijing's ties with Venezuela are "sovereign," opposing "excessive" operations against vessels amid US strikes 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 told a news conference in Beijing.

Mao was responding to a question about Venezuela, under the leadership of President Nicholas Maduro, "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," said Mao, expressing support for "the efforts of combating cross-border crimes through stronger international cooperation" and opposing the use of force in international relations.

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," she added.

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

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