Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, on the occasion of the 4th Ministerial Forum between China and CELAC, on May 12, 2025. Photo: Social media.
Guacamaya, May 12, 2025. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil arrived in Beijing this Monday to participate in the 4th Ministerial Forum between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Participation in this event constitutes a key action by the Maduro administration to strengthen multilateral cooperation and the strategic alliance with the Asian giant.
“We are in China to participate in the 4th Ministerial Forum between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a significant event to strengthen our multilateral relations. “At the beginning of our workday, we had the privilege of meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi,” Gil said via his Telegram account.
He also stated: “During this meeting, we discussed the expansion of the strategic alliance between China and Venezuela, and reaffirmed our joint commitment to moving toward a multipolar world.” For his part, Wang indicated that China and Venezuela are “good friends who trust each other.”
Weeks of strategic rapprochement
Gil’s presence in China follows weeks of significant diplomatic activity. In April, the foreign minister held a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, to fine-tune the work agenda for the forum, with the aim of advancing joint socioeconomic projects.
This agenda is part of the desire to strengthen the so-called “Strategic Alliance, Test and For All Weather,” signed in 2023 between the two governments. In this context, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s visit to Beijing took place in parallel, where she met with her Chinese counterpart, Han Zheng, and other diplomatic representatives.
The international scene also witnessed rapprochement at the highest level recently: last week, President Maduro spoke with the Chinese head of state, Xi Jinping, in Moscow. The meeting, held amid the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, served to reaffirm the rapprochement between the two countries.
A Way Around US Restrictions
Venezuela’s participation in the 4th China-CELAC Ministerial Forum is especially relevant in the context of the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States. Recently, Washington has intensified its pressure on Caracas by suspending licenses and imposing tariffs, primarily targeting the oil industry and any country that trades in Venezuelan hydrocarbons.
The Venezuelan government sees strengthening relations with China as a way to consolidate its economic development, diversify its international alliances, and project an independent foreign policy in the current climate. In short, it represents a path to economic and political survival in the face of the siege imposed by the United States.
Key Meeting in the Geopolitical Reconfiguration
The 4th China-CELAC Ministerial Forum, being held this May 13 in Beijing, takes on special relevance in a global context marked by strategic competition between China and the United States, as well as the trade and technology war between the two powers. Latin America comes to this forum convinced that China is not only a trading partner, but also a key political player in the reconfiguration of the global order.
The meeting will serve to review the 2022-2024 Joint Cooperation Plan and lay the foundations for a roadmap through 2027, which will address issues such as climate change, public health, education, and digitalization. The event will feature the presence of the presidents of Colombia, Brazil, and Chile, as a demonstration of Latin American willingness to build strategic relations.
