By+IVAN+ANTONIO+GUERRERO+ZERPA

THE history of diplomatic relations between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Peoples Republic of China is divided into three stages. The first， the formal establishment of relations between the two countries， was in 1974， and purely formal， even reticent， perhaps due to heavy dependence on the governments of Western powers prior to the Bolivarian Revolution.

This period ended in 1999， with the rise to power of Supreme Commander Hugo Chavez， who from the beginning had the objective of strengthening ties between the two countries and achieving more and more optimal levels.

The Bolivarian Revolution established as one of its main objectives the diversification of foreign relations； to extend the representation of Venezuela， encourage Latin American and Caribbean integration， South-South cooperation with Africa， Asia and Oceania， and promote respect- ful relationships with Europe and North America.

For Chavez， the Peoples Republic of China was important to the extent that in 1999， a few days after being sworn in as President of the Republic， he made this Asian country a main destination of his international tour. He met with then President Jiang Zemin and expressed great admiration for this Asian nation， its history and culture， and from the outset his unequivocal willingness to establish strong links between China and Venezuela.

The historical legacy of Commander Chavez is a key point in bilateral relations， which constitute a priority in achieving the five objectives of the Second Socialist Historic Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Nation 2013-2019， adopted in December 2013 by the National Assembly of Venezuela as the Law of the Country 2013-2019.

The historical objectives are： First， defend， expand and consolidate the most precious thing we have reconquered after 200 years – “national independence”； Second， continue building Bolivarian socialism of the 21st century in Venezuela as an alternative to destructive and savage capitalism and thereby ensure more social security and political stability， and the greatest happiness for our people； Third， make Venezuela a powerful country in the social， economic and political arenas as part of the growing power of Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure the formation of a zone of peace in America； Fourth， contribute to the development of new international geopolitics forming a multicentric and pluripolar world to achieve equilibrium in the universe and guarantee planetary peace； and Fifth， contribute to the preservation of life on the planet and save the human species.

It is important to note， in particular， the fourth goal of this law， which seeks development of a new international geopolitics that will take the strategic partnership between China and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to a higher level， and consolidate national power.

A third stage in bilateral relations has begun with the constitutional term of President Nicolas Maduro. Missions in the new era include realizing the objective earlier stated– to develop and strengthen various areas of national development， among which are oil， petrochemicals， construction， infrastructure， agriculture， agribusiness， basic industries， telecommunications， tourism， and mining.

This is framed in a strategic plan for integral development over the next 10 years， which covers areas of bilateral cooperation in the creation of Special Development Zones and Special Economic Zones， and deepening proactive cooperation with China， taking into consideration the immense Venezuelan potential in this sector and the prospects of increased demand from the Asian country of raw materials and products.

Venezuela will further develop its industrial capacity， fostering joint ventures in various economic， commercial and agricultural sectors， and supporting projects in Venezuela involving Chinese companies. The goal is to consolidate a solid industrial sector that fulfills internal requirements and， at the same time， stimulate exports.

The plan also aims to promote comprehensive cooperation with China in tourism， with emphasis on popularizing the nation among Chinese travelers， offering them the chance to enjoy eco-tours and services rendered by well trained staff. To achieve this goal Venezuela will enhance its tourism infrastructure in order to position our country as one of the main tourist destinations for the Chinese population.

To borrow a quote from our Supreme Commander， Hugo Chavez， on this subject： “China and Venezuela are a true model and example of mutual respect， shared interest and complementation.”

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States （CELAC） has agreed to open a forum with China. And Venezuela stands ready to join efforts to advance the dialogue to materialize the cooperation between the two parties. This forum will be a venue for coordination of policies to take common positions on foreign policies， to build democratic international relations， and to defend the rights of developing countries to establish a fair and reasonable international order. It will also contribute to the combat against climate change and establishment of a new global financial framework through information technologies.

It is pertinent to remember that， during his recent visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela， Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that this year is a great opportunity to consolidate the China-CELAC forum. He added that Venezuela is playing an important role in Latin America and in the rest of the world， and that he foresees a bright future for bilateral relations.

It is very important for the Bolivarian government and the Venezuelan people to continue watering the tree of friendship， brotherhood and complementarity between the People Republic of China， our elder brother， and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.