China has expressed "serious concern" over the US capture and forcible removal of the Venezuelan leader, calling on Washington to ensure the personal safety of Nicolas Maduro and his wife and "release them immediately".

The United States launched military attacks on Venezuela on Saturday, capturing President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were detained in New York after being flown out of Caracas.

Hours after the operation, President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until there was a "safe, proper and judicious" transition.

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China said the US operation went against basic norms of global engagement.

"The US actions clearly violate international law, the basic norms in international relations, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

"China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Maduro and his wife, to release them immediately, to stop subverting the Venezuelan regime and to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation."

This followed an earlier sharply worded statement issued shortly after Saturday's US operation, denouncing the attacks and Washington's "hegemonic behaviour".

"China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the United States' brazen use of force against a sovereign state and its actions directed at its president," the ministry said just hours after the attack.

"Such hegemonic behaviour by the US is a grave violation of international law, an infringement upon the sovereignty of Venezuela and a threat to the peace and security of the Latin American and Caribbean region."

Chinese state news agency Xinhua also criticised the US attack as a "blatant hegemonic act".

"When the 'law of the jungle' replaces international norms, no sovereign nation is safe," Xinhua said in a commentary on Sunday.

It said the rules-based international order touted by the US was a "predatory order based on US interests".

Trump also announced a major US role in Venezuela's oil sector, with leading American companies set to invest billions of dollars to repair its damaged infrastructure. Oil supplies to China would continue uninterrupted, he said.

Venezuela is a major oil exporter, with proven reserves accounting for 18 per cent of the world's total, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. China is Venezuela's largest buyer of oil and its largest bondholder.

Trump has long accused Maduro of building a "drug state" and rejected his victory in Venezuela's disputed 2024 election.

"The US moves completely tore off the hypocritical mask of Washington's previous so-called combating drug terrorism, exposing the true face of resource imperialism," the Xinhua commentary said.

"This series of actions by the US - from 'military raids' to 'regime takeovers' to 'capital incursions' - once again demonstrates to the world its complete modern pirate logic.

"First, it fabricates charges to destroy a sovereign government by force, overthrows its regime, and then allows its own capital to sweep in and plunder its natural resources."