委内瑞拉总统尼古拉斯氠岚坧(Nicolas Maduro)在发自北京的电视画面中表示，中国将向委内瑞拉提供50亿美元贷款，以提高其石油产量。此举表明，这个陷入困境的拉美经济体继续得到中国的支持。中国是委内瑞拉的主要债权国之一。

　　China has lent $50bn to Venezuela in oil-backed loans secured under former president Hugo Chávez but has become much less enthusiastic about adding to its exposure as the Venezuelan economy has worsened. Venezuela is the eighth-largest oil supplier to China, primarily of heavy crude that trades at lower than benchmark prices.

　　中国已向委内瑞拉提供了500亿美元以石油作担保的贷款，这些贷款是在委内瑞拉前总统乌戈查韦斯(Hugo Chávez)任内敲定的。然而，随着委内瑞拉经济发生恶化，中国扩大对委投资的热情已大大降低。委内瑞拉是中国第八大石油供应国。该国供应的主要是重质原油，价格比基准油价要低一些。

　　Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan president, said in a broadcast aired in his home country on Tuesday evening that the deal would “increase oil production in a gradual way in coming months”. Mr Maduro is visiting China ahead of a military parade on Thursday to celebrate the end of the second world war in Asia.

　　周二晚，在委内瑞拉播出的电视节目中，马杜罗表示，这笔交易将“在今后几个月里逐步提高石油产量”。马杜罗眼下在中国访问。周四，北京将举行纪念二战亚洲战事结束的阅兵式。

　　Analysts said Venezuela’s economic woes combined with a global slide in oil prices posed China with a dilemma over its dealings with the Latin American country.

　　分析人士表示，委内瑞拉遭遇的经济困境以及全球油价的下滑，令中国在与这个拉美国家打交道时左右为难。

　　“There are two points of view in China”, said Lin Boqiang, energy expert at Xiamen University and an adviser to state oil company PetroChina. “One is that ‘they are on the rocks, don’t lend more’ and the other is that oil prices are so low, it’s an opportunity to secure supply because we know the price will surely go up. You can’t say that either view is incorrect.”

　　厦门大学(Xiamen University)能源专家、国有石油企业中国石油(PetroChina)的顾问林伯强表示：“在中国有两种观点。一种认为，‘他们已经破产了，别再借钱给他们’。另一种则认为，油价这么低，正是搞定供应的良机，因为我们知道油价肯定会涨。这两种观点哪种你也不能说是错的。”

　　Venezuelan production has slipped steadily because of chronic under-investment in the country’s ageing and complex oilfields, despite their importance to its economy and export revenues. Crude oil sales account for 96 per cent of Venezuela’s exports, and every $1 drop in the price of oil equates to a $700m hit to government revenues.

　　委内瑞拉的石油产量持续下滑，原因是该国老化而复杂的油田长期投资不足，尽管这些油田对该国经济和出口创收非常重要。原油出口收入占委内瑞拉出口收入的96%，油价每下跌1美元，该国政府收入就减少7亿美元。

　　Mr Maduro said Venezuela currently sent about 700,000 barrels a day of oil to China.

　　马杜罗表示，目前委内瑞拉每日向中国输送约70万桶原油。

　　A drop in oil prices to six-year lows has eroded Venezuelan state revenues as well as its ability to meet its payments on debt from China. Beijing extended the schedule for payment late last year, in the face of falling crude prices.

　　油价跌至6年低点不仅侵蚀了委内瑞拉的政府收入，还降低了该国向中国偿债的能力。去年底，面对原油价格的不断下跌，中国政府延长了委内瑞拉的还款期限。