BEIJING - China calls on the United States to lift its illegal and unilateral sanctions imposed on Venezuela and do more to facilitate peace, stability and development in Latin America and the Caribbean region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

According to reports, the United States on Monday formally designated Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, levelling sanctions on the group, which it claimed includes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials. The Venezuelan side said in a statement that it opposed such a move, calling it a ridiculous lie aimed at illegally meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs.

"China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council, and opposes external forces interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext," spokesperson for the ministry Mao Ning said in response to a related query during a daily press briefing.