China’s special envoy meets Maduro (VIDEO)

The talks come amid Washington’s growing pressure on Caracas

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Friday, reaffirming strong economic ties between the two nations.

The meeting at the Miraflores Palace on Friday comes as Venezuela faces escalating tensions with Washington. Qiu Xiaoqi, the Special Representative for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, led the Chinese delegation, which included China’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu, and other senior officials.

“I am very happy to greet you. Thank you, and thank President Xi Jinping for his brotherhood and his message as a strong leader for the world,” Maduro stated at the meeting, alongside Oil Minister and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

The Venezuelan government said the encounter served to “consolidate the new multipolar world order.” It emphasized the “unwavering” nature of the relationship between Caracas and Beijing, particularly in the face of “unilateral coercive measures” and the pursuit of “sovereign development” for nations of the Global South.

Beijing has yet to release its readout of the meeting, but according to Caracas, Qiu Xiaoqi emphasized that China and Venezuela are “strategic partners to the test” and that the Bolivarian government represents a valuable opportunity for China.

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The show of support from China follows recent condemnation of US actions in the region from Russia, which has also reaffirmed its solidarity with Venezuela as it faces a naval blockade in the Caribbean.

The US has justified its military strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels and the naval blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers as part of a campaign to dismantle what it describes as the “Cartel de los Soles,” alleging links to Maduro’s government – accusations Caracas vehemently denies.

Maduro said he is open to holding talks with the Trump administration regarding drug trafficking and even Venezuela’s oil reserves, but drew a firm line against what Caracas described as attempts at “extortion.”

READ MORE: Venezuela accuses US of ‘greatest extortion’ in history

“The US government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” he said in an interview released Thursday. “If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for US investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it.”