Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
A close strategic partnership built around energy, finance, political support, and broader cooperation.
People's Republic of China toward Venezuela
+75China has provided substantial financing and investment to Venezuela, including oil-backed lending and energy cooperation, and has maintained political support for the Venezuelan government. The two governments elevated their relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership in 2023.
Venezuela toward People's Republic of China
+70Venezuela has supported China’s positions on issues including Taiwan and has pursued close political and economic cooperation with Beijing. Venezuelan oil exports have also formed part of arrangements for repaying Chinese financing.
Overall relationship
+75The relationship has a durable strategic foundation, with major cooperation in financing, energy, and political support. The 2023 elevation to an all-weather strategic partnership reinforced this framework. The scale and implementation of particular financial and energy arrangements remain uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Venezuela have developed a close strategic partnership supported by extensive Chinese financing and investment, oil-backed arrangements, and cooperation in areas including energy and defense. Venezuela has supported China’s positions on issues such as Taiwan, while China has maintained political support for the Venezuelan government. The relationship was elevated to an all-weather strategic partnership in 2023.
Key developments
China and Venezuela elevated their relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership during President Nicolás Maduro’s visit to China.
China and Venezuela established oil-backed financing arrangements that linked Venezuelan oil supplies with repayment of Chinese loans.
Major uncertainties
- The current scale and implementation of Chinese financing, investment, and energy cooperation are unclear.
- The extent and practical scope of defense cooperation are unclear.