Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, will visit China from Friday through Thursday, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing.
Beijing, one of Caracas’s major creditors, maintains cordial ties with the impoverished but oil-rich country.
Venezuela, whose economy has been plagued by turmoil for years, has warned against what it deems foreign interference in the nation. China has endorsed these warnings.
“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro Moros will pay a state visit to China from September 8 to 14,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez visited Shanghai and Beijing this week, meeting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, in one of the most high-level visits by officials from Caracas to China in years.
“China and Venezuela have forged an unbreakable, ironclad friendship, and China firmly supports Venezuela in safeguarding its national independence and national dignity,” Wang said.
According to Bloomberg, the purpose of the visit was to explore a potential joint venture between Chinese and Venezuelan petroleum companies and to get new oil investment from Beijing.
Beijing has long been asked to assist Caracas in boosting its struggling economy.
