Whether he is serious or just posturing is anyone's guess. Too many smoke and mirrors hide his real intent ( always thought Hugo and his cronies were profiting from his ambivalance ) but you can bet the Chinese are not too happy to be involved with someone who is running a government the way Hugo is doing. They now know that he is impulsive, irrational, untrustworthy and that his word is meaningless and any agreement that he signs is only valid temporarily. Hugo's relationship with the Chinese may have taken a serious twist. I don't think the Chinese thought Hugo would bite the helping hand but he doesn't always think things through before he speaks or acts out. IMHO, Hugo couldn't lead a bowel movement.