China upgrades relationship with Venezuela to ‘all weather’ partnership

BEIJING (AP) — China has announced that it’s upgrading its diplomatic ties with Venezuela to an “all weather” partnership. That’s a label reserved for a select few of Beijing’s diplomatic partners. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is on a state visit to China’s capital, his fifth as president. State broadcaster CCTV reported that he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. It says the two signed a series of bilateral documents for Belt and Road projects and cooperation in the areas of the economy, trade, and education. Maduro has cultivated China throughout his years in power. His country has received support from China in loans, cash and investment worth tens of billions of dollars.