Chavez gets Chicom support for UN seat

AP/Houston Chronicle:

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."

The two countries' alliance has expanded beyond energy, however. Chavez said after his meeting with Hu that the Chinese president had expressed support for Venezuela's bid to join the Security Council — a move the United States has sought to block.

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Bill Gertz notes:

The visit to China by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this week is being watched closely by U.S. national security officials who are concerned that Beijing is increasing its backing for the leftist leader.
A defense official involved in Asian affairs said the visit to Beijing by Mr. Chavez is part of China's strategy of forming coalitions aimed at controlling resource markets -- in Venezuela's case, access to oil.
"China does not believe in free markets and wants to lock up access to them," the official said. He noted that Beijing thinks the United States is trying to block access to international energy and other resources as part of a containment strategy designed to prevent the emergence of a threatening China.
In Beijing yesterday, Chinese President Hu Jintao warmly welcomed Mr. Chavez, who has proposed an ambitious plan for his country to almost quadruple sales to China to 1 million barrels per day in the next decade.
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Chavez is an enemy of the free world and it is not surprising that the Chicoms would embrace him. His bid to join the Security Counsel would be an automatic vote against US interest. We need to make sure he does not get that seat.

William Ratliff writing in the LA Times, thinks China has too much to lose to buy into Chavez's anti American spiel, but that they are willing to lock up some oil contracts.