Chavez to make state visit to China
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will make a state visit to China this month, the government said today, amid efforts to increase his country’s oil sales to energy-hungry Beijing.
Chavez will visit China on August 22-27, said a brief statement on the Chinese foreign ministry web site. It said Chavez was formally invited by Chinese President Hu Jintao but did not give details of his itinerary or planned meetings.
Since taking office in 1998, Chavez has forged strong ties with Beijing. Oil-rich Venezuela is increasing its fuel shipments to China, which has been looking for new energy sources to fuel its blistering economic growth.
Venezuela, the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter, currently sells 70,000 barrels a day of mainly fuel oil to China, a fivefold increase from 2004. Chavez has said he would like to see total oil exports to China reach 300,000 barrels a day by the end of this year.
