MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Maduro wants China to help Venezuela join BRICS

Maduro's agenda in China has not been disclosed but he is expected to meet Xi Jinping sometime during his 6-day visit

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told Chinese media during the weekend that he wanted the South American country to join the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as a way to consolidate ties between the Asian giant and Latin America and the Caribbean, it was reported in Beijing. Venezuela has already expressed its interest in joining BRICS formally.

”There would be three lines of work: strengthening the China-Latin America and the Caribbean relationship with the Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), strengthening and expanding the group of defense of the United Nations Charter for a re-foundation of the UN and the entry of Venezuela to the BRICS to continue strengthening the process of the birth of a new world,” explained Maduro, who is on a 6-day tour of China during which he is expected to hold a meeting with his local counterpart Xi Jinping.

The five-member bloc will be enlarged as of Jan. 1, 2024, with the accession of Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, and Iran which was approved in the alliance's summit in South Africa last month.

Maduro, who arrived in China on Friday and whose agenda has not been disclosed, also highlighted the contributions his country could make to the bloc in light of its large oil reserves. The Venezuelan leader also raised the need for China to continue increasing its investments in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen ties with the region.

Earlier last week, Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, to discuss bilateral issues and the promotion of economic and trade agreements between the two nations.