How Chinese Military Technology Failed, Went Horribly Wrong, In Venezuela January 3,2026
Jan 4 2026
During the latest Venezuela U.S. military operation, Chinese-built systems suffered what has been described as “catastrophic paralysis.” Radar systems were blinded in the first wave of
Military observers argue Venezuela’s failure was not due to the quality of any single weapon, but rather a comprehensive defeat of its Chinese-style command-and-control systems. While China supplied advanced hardware—such as radars, armored vehicles, and air-defense systems—its ability to integrate them into a jam-resistant, highly survivable operational network has to have many years room for improvement. The system they bragged about was touted as the “Strongest Air Defense in South America” Collapses in superior U.S. Military Action. For years, the Venezuelan military poured vast sums into acquiring Chinese-made military equipment, building what it claimed was the “most modern” defense system in South America. At its core was an air-defense network centered on the JY-27 counter-stealth radar, once believed capable of effectively countering U.S. stealth aircraft such as the F-22. Meanwhile, its Marine Corps—equipped with VN-16 and VN-18 amphibious armored vehicles—was widely expected to be a formidable armored force in the region. Not! Military analysts say this highlights the significant technological gap that still exists when Chinese weapons systems face top-tier opponents like the U.S. military in complex electromagnetic and precision-strike environments.
A Paper Defense Line: Why Venezuela’s Chinese Weapons Proved “Helpless” Against the U.S. Military As U.S. operations in Venezuela advanced rapidly, the “steel defense line of South America,” once expected to mount fierce resistance, collapsed in a remarkably short time. The conflict has not only reshaped Venezuela’s situation, but also subjected its main arms supplier—China—to an embarrassing technical reckoning. For years, Venezuela was viewed as a showcase for Chinese military equipment in Latin America. Yet real combat results indicate that systems promoted as “capable of countering the West” proved extremely fragile when confronted by the U.S. military’s system-of-systems warfare. The ‘Counter-Stealth’ Myth Shattered: Radar Systems Go Blind First At the heart of Venezuela’s air-defense network was a radar array produced by China Electronics Technology Group. Venezuelan forces fielded the JYL-1 three-coordinate long-range surveillance radar and the JY-27 meter-wave radar, often touted as a “stealth killer.” Officials had boasted that the JY-27 could lock onto U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters from hundreds of kilometers away and guide Russian-made S-300 missiles to intercept them. Combat results, however, show that within hours of the operation’s start, the United States Armed Forces launched an intense electronic-warfare offensive. On-site assessments indicate Venezuelan radar screens were immediately flooded by powerful jamming, followed by precise strikes from anti-radiation missiles. The so-called “counter-stealth” capability never came into play; the entire air-defense command system was effectively blinded at the outset of hostilities. Ground Armored Forces: An Abandoned Steel Tide Venezuela’s Marine Corps had long been considered South America’s best-equipped amphibious force, largely thanks to comprehensive Chinese mechanized equipment. Its frontline assets included the VN-16 amphibious assault vehicle with a 105-mm gun, the VN-18 infantry fighting vehicle, and the VN-4 “Rhinoceros” armored vehicle widely issued to the National Guard. Fire support was provided by the SR-5 multiple rocket launcher system. Combat experience showed that without air cover and radar early warning, these costly amphibious vehicles became easy targets for U.S. attack aircraft and drones. Battlefield footage indicates many VN-series vehicles were not destroyed in tank-to-tank combat but were abandoned by crews after air strikes on beaches or highways. The SR-5 rocket artillery, lacking target data links, was unable to deliver effective strikes against U.S. troop concentrations. The Absence of Air and Naval Power Venezuela’s Air Force, operating K-8W trainer/light attack aircraft, was entirely grounded after the U.S. secured air superiority. Designed mainly to intercept light narcotics aircraft, these planes had no survivability in modern air combat. Patrol vessels armed with C-802A anti-ship missiles likewise saw their capabilities rendered ineffective under overwhelming U.S. battlefield awareness and electronic suppression. Expert Analysis: A Comprehensive Defeat of Chinese-Style Command and Control Military observers argue Venezuela’s failure was not due to the quality of any single weapon, but rather a comprehensive defeat of Chinese-style command-and-control systems. While China supplied advanced hardware—such as radars, armored vehicles, and air-defense systems—its ability to integrate them into a jam-resistant, highly survivable operational network still has significant room for improvement. Britain's Keir Starmer Does Not Approve
Chinese Social Media Fear US Maduro Move as a Taiwan Template
January 3, 2026 at 9:12 PM PST
Takeaways by Bloomberg AI
- President Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro sparked discussion on Chinese social media, with many users saying the operation could be a template for handling tensions with Taiwan.
- China’s Foreign Ministry urged the US to release Maduro and his wife, saying the raid on Venezuela violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations.
- The US strike on Venezuela could give Beijing space to ramp up military aggression in its own backyard, with some speculating it could open the window for Xi to contemplate military action toward Taiwan.
Maduro seen with a funny hat
President Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with many users saying the operation offered a template for how Beijing could handle tensions with Taiwan.
Trump’s operation against the Venezuelan strongman shot to the top of China’s Weibo late Saturday, with the topic gaining some 440 million views on the X-like platform. Many commentators were quick to make comparisons between the fate of the South American nation and that of the self-ruled democracy Beijing has vowed to claim.
“I suggest using the same method to reclaim Taiwan in the future,” one user said in reply to a post with more than 700 likes. “Since the US doesn’t take international law seriously, why should we care about it?” said another user.
Going around Chinese social media
“The US imperialists’ lightning raid on Venezuela to capture Maduro and his wife provides a perfect blueprint for our military to launch a surprise attack on Frog Island and seize Lai Ching-te,” wrote one person, using a derogatory term to refer to Taiwan. Lai is Taiwan’s president.
China’s Foreign Ministry urged the US to release Maduro and his wife and ensure their safety. The raid on Venezuela violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, as well as the principles of the UN Charter, it said in a statement. Earlier, the ministry said it was “deeply shocked” by the “blatant use of force against a sovereign state.”
Taiwan is “closely monitoring” Venezuela’s situation, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it would work with the US and other democratic nations “to jointly contribute to regional and global security, stability and prosperity.”
President Xi Jinping has stepped up military pressure around Taiwan, most recently by conducting live-fire drills around the island — exercises that Trump downplayed. Beijing has refrained from using violence, however, preferring coercion tactics coupled with a diplomatic drive to isolate Taipei on the world stage.
The outpouring of nationalist sentiment in China doesn’t mean Xi will change that strategy toward Taiwan, one of the biggest flashpoints between the world’s largest economies. But Trump’s strike could give Beijing space to ramp up military aggression in its own backyard.
“I don’t expect today’s events in Venezuela will dramatically shift Beijing’s calculus on Taiwan,” Ryan Hass, a former US diplomat and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote on X. “Beijing hasn’t refrained from kinetic or other actions on Taiwan out of deference to international law and norms.”
“Privately, I expect Beijing will emphasize to Washington that it expects to be given the same latitude for great power exemptions to international law that the US takes for itself,” he added, citing China’s operations in the South China Sea, where it has territorial disputes with US allies and other regional neighbors.
For decades, the US — Taiwan’s top weapons supplier — has been a restraining force on Chinese aggression, with the risk of sanctions and American military action looming over any invasion. The Chinese Communist Party leader also has to weigh domestic sentiment, military readiness and economic implications.
Gone, Never To Return!
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Trump’s actions now hand Xi another opportunity to portray China as a custodian of the international rules-based order that the US helped to create, but is increasingly veering away from.
The US strike has returned the world “to the colonial era of barbaric plunder,” the official Xinhua News Agency wrote in a commentary on Sunday. “The subsequent statement of the President of the United States completely tore off the hypocritical mask of the so-called ‘fighting drug terrorism’ and exposed the true face of resource imperialism.”
Trump’s operation to oust strongman Maduro follows a months’ long campaign of airstrikes on boats purportedly carrying illegal drugs.
Hours before his capture, a high-level Chinese delegation met in Caracas with Maduro, who shared images of the group shaking hands on his Instagram page. It’s unclear whether the diplomats, including Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Latin American Affairs Qiu Xiaoqi, were still in the country during the attack.
China is well-positioned to engage with those currently holding the reins in Venezuela, said Margaret Myers, senior advisor of the Asia and Latin America Program at the Inter-American Dialogue.
“Beijing has consistently pursued engagement with all viable political actors, regardless of ideology, and is likely to maintain what presence it can over the long term in light of its substantial investments and Venezuela’s strategic importance,” she added.
China had warmed ties with Venezuela in recent years, offering Maduro a powerful ally and opportunity for oil sales. Venezuela has the largest known reserves in the world, but is subject to international sanctions. China is the country’s biggest customer for oil exports, which represent about 95% of Venezuela’s revenue.
The Trump administration stepped up a pressure campaign against that trade in recent days, sanctioning companies based in Hong Kong and mainland China, along with related oil tankers it accused of evading restrictions.
Great Power Politics
To Xi, Trump’s actions could be viewed as consistent with great powers intervening in neighboring countries in the name of national security, said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, noting this was how Beijing perceived Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “A potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan could fall into the same bucket,” he added.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbole to speculate that this opens the window for Xi to contemplate military action toward Taiwan, especially if the global response to the US action is muted,” Morris said.
Others were skeptical Beijing has the military know-how for such an operation.
The US strike was the result of months of intelligence work and carried out by more than 150 aircraft, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said at a Saturday briefing. A helicopter force approached Maduro’s compound shortly after 2 a.m. in Caracas, before taking fire, he added. Maduro and his wife then “gave up,” Caine said.
US forces involved likely had extensive experience operating in hostile environments, according to Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
“I don’t think the PLA has any experience like that,” he said, referring to the People’s Liberation Army. “Beijing has other options for neutralizing Taiwan’s leader,” he added, claiming China would have a higher chance of success with assassinations.
