VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro, on an official visit to Beijing yesterday, said that developing relations with China was “a golden opportunity” for his country’s economic revolution.

Mr Maduro hailed his ongoing trip as a success, saying he will learn from China to help improve the Venezuelan economy, which has been hit by international sanctions from both the US and EU.

The Bolivarian leader signed a series of strategic trade agreements with the Chinese government in areas such as technology, education, energy, trade, culture and health yesterday.

Earlier the Chinese government said it welcomed the re-election of Mr Maduro and the country’s “new stage of seeking stability and promoting development.”

Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Bentang explained that China would continue its friendly relations with Venezuela, which the government views as an important trade and economic partner.

“Mr Maduro’s visit to China will be conducive to consolidating bilateral political mutual trust, promoting pragmatic co-operation between the two countries, propelling bilateral ties to achieve more development and helping Venezuela to restore stability and development,” he said.

Mr Maduro welcomed the latest trade agreements and said that the people of Venezuela supported the country’s “economic revolution,” which is based on ideas developed by former President Hugo Chavez and Chinese economists.

“It is a golden opportunity that we have today. I have great expectations. I am willing to learn to perfect the path that Venezuela has taken and achieve what is most important for the years to come: an economic revolution that will free the productive forces of the country and successfully create real wealth for the general happiness of our people,” he said.