VENEZUELA: China Lends $20 Billion; Ensures Supplies; Trade Surges 10-Fold.

BUSINESS WEEK/   China is lending Venezuela $20 billion and will form a joint venture to extract crude from the Orinoco Basin. President Hugo Chavez announced that “We agreed on a huge, long-term financing plan. This is a larger scope, a super heavy fund. China needs energy security and we’re here to provide them with all the oil they need.”