Venezuela to maintain policies toward China

viernes 19 de julio de 2013

Observers said there is no need to worry about changes in Venezuela's China policies in thepost-Chavez period. Frequent high-level visits showed that the two nations are trying to consolidate ties.

"Apparently, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has adopted Chavez's policies on China,"said Wu Baiyi, deputy head of the Institution of Latin American Studies under the ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences.

"Besides, the Venezuelan economy's steady development and its oil exports are closely linked to China," he said.

Li told Arreaza that the two nations should maintain closer high-level contacts, expand cooperation in the areas of energy, finance and agriculture, step up exchanges regardingexperience in governance and deepen their strategic partnership.

China and Venezuela forged a strategic partnership of common development in 2001.

Li said the two nations should jointly develop a blueprint for the future development of bilateral links.

Arreaza said his government will continue to prioritize its relations with China, adding that the country is ready to learn from China's experience in development and strengthen cooperationin all fields.

The late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez visited China six times after he took office in 1999and greatly encouraged boosting ties.

Bilateral trade reached $23 billion in 2012. According to the Chinese embassy in Venezuela,China has provided more than $30 billion in financing to Venezuela to push forward nearly 300 projects of mutual cooperation.

There have been concerns among Chinese investors that favorable policies on China mightchange under the new government.

Maduro told a visiting high-ranking Chinese official after Chavez's funeral in March that thebest way to pay tribute to the late leader was to keep deepening the strategic partnership withChina.

Beijing and Caracas have maintained frequent mutual visits of high-level officials since then.

Li Yuanchao visited Venezuela for five days in May and met with key leaders including Maduro,Arreaza, and President of the Venezuelan National Assembly Diosdado Cabello.

The Foreign Ministry said the visit was of great importance because the two countries had justcompleted a transition of leadership.

Cabello paid a visit to China in July, several days before Arreaza's China trip.

Cabello said ahead of the visit that Venezuela's relations with China were stable and thatcooperation between the two nations would continue.

He said Venezuela would like to be an important partner in China's energy imports. China is amajor source of Venezuela's export income, he said.

Cabello, who is also the first vice-president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela,said the party will dispatch 50 party members to learn in China in September. He said suchcommunication will help the development of the country and the party.

Venezuelan Oil and Mining Minister Rafael Ramirez also came to Beijing in June.

Ramirez told reporters that Venezuela exported 626,000 barrels of oil per day to China in thefirst four months of this year, 18 percent more than the same period last year. He said thefigure is expected to reach 1 million barrels per day within two years.

In 2005, the figure was only 49,000 barrels per day.

"Chinese enterprises are expanding investment in Venezuela, a reflection of their confidence inthe Venezuelan economy, and its relations with China," said Wu Baiyi.

Wang Zhen, former Chinese ambassador to Venezuela, said many other political parties inVenezuela, including the opposition, also attach great importance to ties with Beijing.

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