China has thrown its weight behind Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, despite the opposition and key regional nations rejecting the official results.
At a press briefing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian congratulated Maduro on his successful re-election, saying, “China stands ready to enrich our all-weather strategic partnership and better benefit the peoples of both countries.”
China and Venezuela have a long-standing relationship, with Beijing being Caracas’ main creditor. Maduro’s visit to China in September saw him meet with President Xi Jinping, where they discussed strengthening cooperation and building a new world order.
However, the Venezuelan opposition coalition has disputed the election results, claiming they garnered 70% of the vote. The electoral authority’s figures, which declared Maduro the winner with 51.2% of votes, have been rejected by the opposition and key regional nations.
Despite this, China has reaffirmed its support for Maduro, with Lin Jian stating, “China and Venezuela are good friends and partners who support each other.” This move is seen as a boost to Maduro’s government, which has been diplomatically isolated and ravaged by inflation.
