Chavez: Venezuela to launch Chinese-made satellite

Chavez: Venezuela to launch Chinese-made satellite : Venezuela will soon launch its first satellite from China, cementing ties with its Asian ally and boosting Venezuelan independence, President Hugo Chavez said Sunday. The Chinese-made satellite, to be launched from China's southwestern Sichuan province on Nov. 1, will cover several Latin American nations, Chavez said on his weekly television program. The project will make Venezuela self-sufficient in television, Internet and other communication transmissions, he said. Venezuela intends to launch a second satellite in coming years and is looking in the near-term to buy Chinese-made K-8 military planes, which are mainly for training, Chavez said. His oil-producing country has benefited from high crude prices, permitting a series of military purchases including Russian-made... [read full story]