Xi reaffirms commitment of assistance for Venezuela

Numerous agreements made before start of first Latin American ministers' forum, which opens on Thursday

President Xi Jinping voiced his resolve to back Venezuela, whose economy is reeling from tumbling oil prices, when he met with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday in Beijing.

The meeting was one of several between Xi and Latin American leaders that yielded a raft of agreements and pledges of closer ties between China and the region.