Chavez seeks Chinese support, Beijing wants oil

BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be seeking political support as well as energy deals when he visits China from Tuesday, but Beijing is keen to stick to business and avoid antagonising Washington, analysts say.

The globe-trotting populist leader will spend nearly a week in China on his fourth visit there and hopes to secure investment in oil production and shipping - exploiting the shared interests of the world's number two oil consumer and its number five exporter.

But their courtship has raised hackles in US corridors of power, where some officials fear the emerging Asian heavyweight is trying to edge its way into Washington's sphere of influence in South America.

Chavez will be aiming to drum up support for Venezuela's bid for a slot on the United Nations Security Council, in opposition to US-supported Guatemala.

And he is always ready to bait Washington, which buys around 12 per cent of its crude imports from Caracas, by flaunting his ties with oil-hungry Beijing.

''All (Latin American) countries want autonomy but Chavez wants more than that. He wants to go a step further and even confront the United States, so for that China is an important actor,'' said Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, of the University of San Andres in Buenos Aires.

Chavez may even visit China's secretive neighbour, North Korea, which recently infuriated the United States by test-firing missiles.

The Venezuelan leader said in July he had received an invitation from Pyongyang and planned to visit, although it was dropped from the itinerary of his last trip.

But Beijing does not share Chavez's taste for public spats and has no desire to dent Sino-American relations, which are gradually improving after trade and currency disputes last year.

With Washington already fretting about Beijing's ties with Iran, and concerned it is not exerting enough pressure on North Korea, Chinese leaders will be keener to pore over oilfield maps than risk criticising the United States.

''We need their oil, and from a commercial point of view we are happy to buy it, but we don't want to get caught up in the politics,'' said one researcher from a government think-tank, who declined to be identified as the issue was sensitive.

''China's relations with America are more important.'' MORE REUTERS LL RN1103