Venezuela’s Chavez defends China ties as officials sign deals for $6 billion in loans/ Venezuela recibirá 8.000 millones de dólares más de China

After the loans were signed, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended his country’s growing ties with China as vital to his country’s development. He also dismissed criticisms by opponents who question the mounting loans, which are to be paid back in oil shipments. China has swiftly become Venezuela’s biggest foreign lender in recent years, and had previously agreed to more than $32 billion in loans. Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez had said Wednesday that the new loans would increase oil production involving Chinese and Venezuelan companies from about 100,000 barrels a day to about 330,000 barrels a day ( more...)/ "Entre lo que se firmó hoy (...), hemos asegurado para inyectar recursos al desarrollo venezolano para los próximos años 8.000 millones de dólares más", declaró Chávez en el acto de clausura de la X Comisión Mixta de Alto Nivel entre ambos países celebrada en Caracas.Explicó que 4.000 millones de dólares irán al "tema petrolero" para la empresa mixta binacional Petrosinovensa y otros 4.000 millones "llegarán en febrero, marzo" como un nuevo tramo del Fondo Pesado chino-venezolano, que financia proyectos "estratégicos" binacionales ( más...)