Venezuela and China strike agreements in different fields
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In the quest to strengthen cooperation between Venezuela and the People’s Republic of China, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro received a Chinese delegation led by Yang Hongtao, Secretary of the Municipal Committee of Tai’an of the Communist Party of China, this Monday.
In addition to strengthening economic and trade ties, the meeting between President Maduro and Secretary Yang Hongtao addressed issues related to the social and human development of both countries. Initiatives to modernize the electricity sector, build infrastructure, promote technological innovation, and collaborate in the field of health were discussed.
One of the most recent agreements in this bilateral collaboration was the signing of the Approving Law of Air Services between Venezuela and China by President Maduro. This agreement, signed within the framework of the XVI High-Level Joint Commission in Beijing in September 2023, established direct air services between both nations, facilitating tourism and strengthening ties between the Venezuelan and Chinese peoples.
In recent weeks, Venezuela and China also consolidated their strategic partnership through a series of new agreements covering various key areas of cooperation.
Some of the most recent ones include the Venezuelan Science and Technology Park ‘Ciencia’ and the Chinese conglomerate NeoBay, aimed at strengthening the national productive apparatus through research and development lines in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and bioagriculture.
The meeting, held at the presidential palace of Miraflores in Caracas, was attended by other political and diplomatic figures from both sides, during which they discussed strategy on topics including economic development, technological cooperation, and even cultural exchange.
Furthermore, a memorandum of understanding has been established involving scientific and technological institutions, universities, and the Venezuelan industry, demonstrating a comprehensive approach in these areas.
In the field of environmental conservation, Venezuela and China have signed a cooperation agreement for the conservation of tropical forests in Venezuela. An agreement that seeks to protect the environment and promote space research, as well as the establishment of an agenda for the development of oceanography in the country, using specialized satellites for these studies.
These new agreements between Venezuela and China are part of the Chinese government’s strategy to preserve its position of influence in the region by consolidating itself in one of its most relevant allies in the Western Hemisphere.
An issue that – given the current situation for Latin American, in which the U.S. has expressed concern about the level of influence that China has acquired in recent years through the financing of projects and the consolidation of commercial agreements with regional countries – continues to draw attention to the interests that may exist behind this foreign policy strategy carried out by the Chinese government.
Venezuela and China have cultivated a relationship based on solidarity and cooperation. Nearly two decades ago, then-President Hugo Chávez and Chinese leaders signed a series of agreements in key areas such as agriculture, science, technology, telecommunications, transportation, mining, tourism, housing, and infrastructure; agreements that laid the groundwork for a lasting partnership between the two countries and that to this day remains in force.
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Other related sources:
Venezuela y China profundizan lazos estratégicos bilaterales | TeleSur (2024, mayo 13).
Venezuela y China afianzan relaciones estratégicas | Globovisión (2024, mayo 13).