As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela's coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington's military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean.

A major increase in U.S. naval forces in the south Caribbean Sea has been underway since President Trump signed a directive targeting some cartels.

Tensions in the Caribbean are surging as the United States dispatched three Aegis-equipped destroyers—the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson—to waters near Venezuela, aiming to bolster its counter-narcotics operations, according to U.S. defense officials.

While it might seem minor it was yet another sign of Venezuela’s need to publicize its rapprochement with China in the midst of tension with the US.