China's Venezuela connection: A warm state embrace with corporate cold feet

HONG KONG -- Deep suspicion over Venezuela's election results has triggered mass protests at home and harsh criticism from the West, but President Nicolas Maduro has received a full endorsement from Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Chinese businesses, on the other hand, appear less enthusiastic.

Xi was quick to send a congratulatory message on Tuesday after the Venezuelan National Electoral Council declared that Maduro had won 51% of the vote and defeated challenger Edmundo Gonzalez, the candidate of the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado. The Carter Center, which was invited by the council as an observer, said the same day that the poll "did not meet international standards of electoral integrity and cannot be considered democratic."