Maduro,Xi
© teleSURVenezuelan President Maduro • Chinese President Xi
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has embarked on a state visit to China on Wednesday and announced that the meeting will "enhance the relationship between the two countries."

The Venezuelan president is seeking economic deals with the Chinese after announcing measures he intends to take to try to retake Venezuela's economy.

"Moving forward in the new strategic association agreements in the economic, commercial, energy, financial, technological," Maduro said at the international airport to television.

Andre Luiz Coelho, a professor of International Relations at UniRio and an expert on Latin American politics, said that China seeks to compete with Latin America and become even more influential in the region.

"Latin America is historically known as a zone of influence of the United States. China in this quest to become the world's leading power is necessarily entering the zone of influence of the United States, but not in a military way, but in a way commercial," he said.

Maduro did not specify how many days he will stay in China. According to André Luiz Coelho, it is possible that Maduro tries to get another loan with the Chinese.

"One of the main reasons for this trip is precisely a new loan with China of US $ 5 billion. Venezuela gets the money it needs and also can pay that money with what it has to offer, which is oil. Paid in oil." he commented.

Another meaning of Maduro's trip to China is also to send a message to the Venezuelan opposition that tries to get him out of power.

"He tries to show Venezuelan opposition that he has a strong ally, that is China. Surely [the trip] has to do with military connections, transfer of arms, technology of the military field, precisely for the maintenance of Maduro. Maduro only remains in power because of the high military dome in the country who are with him, were it not for that he would have fallen from power," he claimed.
About the Author

Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies. He has an MA in International Relations and is interested in Great Power Rivalry as well as the International Relations and Political Economy of the Middle East and Latin America.