Chavez and China

America's favorite whipping boy and China will meet next week.

From Reuters:

BEIJING, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit China next week, sealing agreements that may include expanded energy cooperation and prompt wariness from the United States.

Chavez's state visit from Sept. 23-24 will include meetings with President Hu Jintao and agreements for cooperation in sports, judicial affairs and other areas, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference on Tuesday.

Asked whether his visit would also bring the energy-hungry Asian power expanded access to Venezuela's plentiful oil, Jiang was circumspect but did not rule out deals.

"Energy cooperation is a constitutive part of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Venezuela," she said, adding that Venezuela supplied only 4 percent of China's oil imports.

"As to whether both sides will sign other agreements, they are continuing consultations."

Chavez has repeatedly said he wants to sell more oil to China and Jiang said Chavez had been eager to visit "as early as possible."

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While America gets high and mighty with a lot of the world, China builds relationships with them. China has recently expanded ties with a score of, what one could call, "shady" nations: Iran, Zimbabwe, Russia, North Korea, and Sudan.

China's economy is expanding and it's obvious they need oil and other resources, but it's abundantly clear that China puts pragmatism before idealism when it comes to international relations.