Venezuela, China to remain close after presidential election

Venezuela's relationship with China would remain close after Sunday's presidential election, an analyst at the Americas Council said.

"I don't see much change in Venezuela's relations with China no matter who wins," Eric Farnsworth told Xinhua. "This is a commercial relationship and Venezuela needs markets."

The interview was conducted before latest news coming out that President Hugo Chavez has won the election carrying 54 percent of the votes with 90 percent of the ballots counted.

"Chavez remains popular with many Venezuelans because he has transparently transferred income from oil exports to the lower classes," Farnsworh said.

In recent years Chavez had overcome a series of formidable challenges, including a coup attempt in April 2002, a general strike later that year and a referendum on his rule in 2004. But after all of those, he was re-elected in 2006.

Some 19 million Venezuelans went to the polls on Sunday while 100,000 others voted overseas.