Chavez: China to Expand Oil Cooperation

BEIJING
Visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said China will expand its cooperation in oil exploration and help his country build a fiber-optic communications network under agreements to be signed in Beijing this week.

The visit by Chavez, who arrived in the Chinese capital early Wednesday, comes amid growing Venezuelan oil sales to China, which wants increased access to Latin American energy sources for its booming economy. Chavez also plans to go to Malaysia and Angola.

In China, Chavez is to meet with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao and also visit the eastern city of Jinan.

Chavez said Venezuela's growing relations with China are part of his government's efforts to create a "multipolar" world to counter U.S. hegemony. He accuses Washington of using its might to bully countries like his own from developing military technology.

The left-leaning Chavez has forged strong ties with Beijing since taking office in 1998. He said last week that he will buy Chinese-made oil tankers and seal an oil exploration deal.

"We're going to sign a series of agreements for another leap in energy cooperation," Chavez said after arriving in Beijing. He said they would include accords for China to begin extra-heavy oil production in Venezuela's Orinoco River basin and to jointly develop the eastern Zumano oil and gas fields.

Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, currently sells 150,000 barrels of crude, fuel oil and other petroleum products a day to China. Venezuela says it plans to increase that amount to 200,000 barrels this year.

The United States is the No. 1 buyer of Venezuelan crude, but Chavez's government has sought to sell more to other countries.