BEIJING -- No country can act as the world's police, nor can it claim the role of international judge, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Tuesday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a query regarding the situation in Venezuela. She said China consistently advocates for all countries to respect the right of other peoples to independently choose their own development path, to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, with major countries especially taking the lead.