Chavez to talk oil deals in China

[Say_What]

Interesting Op/Ed, which down plays the oil deals stuff from the Peoples Daily follows article.

<clips>

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says China will expand cooperation in oil exploration and help his country build a fiber-optic communications network under agreements due to be signed when he visits Beijing this week.

The visit by the left-leaning Chavez comes amid growing oil sales to China, which wants to access to Latin American energy sources for its booming economy.

Chavez was due to arrive in Beijing late Tuesday on a trip that will also take him to Angola and Malaysia.

The government has released no details on whom Chavez will meet but says he is to receive an official welcome Thursday at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's parliament.

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

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/08/22/china.chavez.ap/

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No one is targeted by Sino-Venezuelan energy co-op

<clips>

...The volume of oil imported from Venezuela only accounts for a small proportion of China's total crude oil imports. In the first seven months of 2004, China imported 6100 tons of crude oil from Venezuela, accounting for just 0.1 percent of its total crude oil imports in that period. Sino-Venezuelan energy cooperation is likely to be affected by a variety of factors, such as geographical distance, high transportation and processing costs, and uncertainty about security. Venezuela has been making an effort to strengthen its economic and trade relations with other South American countries, Caribbean countries, Russia, and countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. Clearly, China is only a part of Venezuela's expanding overseas market, although of course a very important part. Regardless, the economic, trade and energy relationship between China and Venezuela does not pose any threat to the United States.

The Sino-Venezuelan strategic partnership is closer than ever. Officials from the two countries have met frequently, strengthening political trust and expanding cooperation in various fields. The volume of bilateral trade has grown since diplomatic ties were established. In 2005, the volume of Sino-Venezuelan trade reached US$2.1 billion. Venezuela has become one of China's most important trading partners and one of the countries in which China invests most heavily in Latin America. China has also become one of Venezuela's most important trading partners in Asia. From the perspective of strategic demand, China is the largest developing country with the fastest growing demand for energy in the world. Venezuela is the most influential country in Latin America and the world's fifth largest oil exporter. Both sides play increasingly important roles in maintaining regional stability, promoting regional integration, and safeguarding the interests of developing countries, particularly in the area of complementary economic benefits. To ensure sustainable development of the "future-oriented strategic partnership," the two countries need to support each other politically, depend on each other in trade, and learn from each other's civilizations.

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/22/eng20060822_295733.html

[Say_What]

1. 'Korea's Future Lies With China, Not U.S.'

Oopsy...

<clips>

...Li Dunqiu, a top Chinese expert on the Korean peninsula, argued in Beijing this month that Korea should make a strategic decision to come closer to China because "Korea's future lies with China, not with the U.S."

Li Dunqiu is the director of the Korean Peninsula Research Center of the State Council. The State Council is China's cabinet of government. He makes frequent trips to Korea and the United States.

...Sunny Lee interviewed Li Dunqiu in Beijing on Aug 21 2006.

There are some lawmakers in South Korea who believe Korea should make a strategic partnership with China over America in the 21st century.

They are correct. In the 21st century, Korea needs to come closer to China. First, China and Korea share common interests that are larger than those between Korea and the U.S.

In East Asia, America just wants to maintain its hegemonic order. The U.S. has little regard for stability, prosperity and common development in the region. The main reason is that essentially the U.S. itself isn't located in the region. On the other hand, China pays closer attention to these issues than the U.S. does.

Does China want the reunification of the Korean peninsula?

In the Korean peninsula, the U.S. wants to maintain the status quo. China is different. The U.S. doesn't want to see economic cooperation between China and North Korea, either. China, on the other hand, wants the two Koreas to improve their relationship because China believes doing so would also benefit itself. But the U.S. doesn't want to see this {improvement}.



http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=312637&rel_no=1

[Deja Q]

2. If the US never offshored jobs, then none of this would be happening.

Indeed, they'd be coming to us, begging for goods.

[Khayembii Communique]

6. What's your point?

If we could fly then we wouldn't need airplanes. What's your point?

[gula]

3. China and Chile sign trade deal

http://tinyurl.com/lt3ak

Is North America falling off the map?

[Peace Patriot]

4. Yup, I think we're finding out that the Bush junta has damaged us in ways

that we can hardly see at this point, but that include the on-going destruction of our manufacturing capability, the alienation of all sorts of potential friends and trading partners, including oil sources, the end of our most valuable national asset--a strong middle class, and upward mobility of the poor--and unbelievable damage to our national security, our emergency preparedness, our National Guard, our military, our legal system, and our self-respect, confidence and democratic principles.

The corrosion didn't start with Bush--it started with Reagan (take from the poor, give to the rich--via tax code re-write, deregulation, looting of Savings and Loan institutions, etc.)--but its acceleration under the Bush junta has been mind-boggling. We now know what it feels like to be a "Banana Republic"--to be the victim of outrageous exploitation and corrupt, fascist government.

Latin America is on a democratic roll. They are proving that leftist government is good government that benefits everyone. Transparent elections are the key. The OAS, the Carter Center, EU election monitoring groups and local civic groups have been hard at work on achieving transparent elections in Latin America for some time. We had better get to work on it here, too. We now have THE most non-transparent elections of any supposedly democratic country in the world--with the new Bushite corporate controlled electronic voting systems, run on TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code. Laughable, really--if it weren't so tragic, and hadn't resulted in so much death. Easy to repair, though. Throw Diebold, ES&S and all election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor' NOW!

[Judi Lynn]

5. Update: Chavez unveils China oil plan

Chavez unveils China oil plan

Thursday, August 24, 2006; Posted: 3:38 a.m. EDT (07:38 GMT)

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has said his country plans to export 500,000 barrels of oil a day to China within five years, as he prepared for a meeting Thursday with the Chinese president during a tour to boost energy ties.
(snip)

He also proposed an ambitious target plan under which Venezuela -- the world's No. 5 oil exporter -- will almost quadruple its sales to China, which wants access to Latin American energy supplies to fuel its booming economy.

"Within five years we'll arrive at half a million barrels (a day) to China. We are currently exporting close to 150,000 barrels (a day), and next year we will double that," Chavez said.

"The oil issue is of utmost importance because we are diversifying the petroleum business. We are moving toward a new petroleum model," said Chavez, speaking on Venezuelan state television from China. "It's one step more in a strategic alliance."
(snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/08/24/china.venezuela.ap/index.html

On edit, adding Venezuelan children's photos:

[gorbal]

7. This actually saddens me

I'm sure Bush's oil buddies are overjoyed at the idea of Citgo no longer being in competition for the US market.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Venezuela Says China Backs U.N. Bid

Venezuela Says China Backs U.N. Bid
By AUDRA ANG , 08.24.2006, 12:01 PM

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that China has thrown its support behind his nation's bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council as the two countries signed deals to develop Venezuela's vast oil resources.

Chinese President Hu Jintao warmly welcomed Chavez, who has proposed an ambitious plan for his country - the world's No. 5 oil exporter - to almost quadruple sales to fuel-hungry China to 1 million barrels per day in the next decade.

"I believe that, through your visit, the two countries' cooperation in all aspects can be promoted," Hu told Chavez at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's parliament.

Chavez responded by saying that "mutual trust between our two countries has been deepening, and the economic and cultural exchanges have been strengthening."
(snip/...)

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entresales/feeds/ap/2006/08/24/ap2971291.html

[VegasWolf]

9. Chavez don't need no stinkin' U.S.! nt