China didn't need to, they flock to China and other countries on their own, for example Hugo Chavez with China:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Venezuela_relati...

What was once a beautiful nation is now rife with crime, even the military of all things is told not to have cell phones out by stop lights because somebody will swing on by on a motorcycle and hijack the phone. From the darn military! Still surprised they get away with it.

I also remember hearing from a relative that Chavez would basically bring Cuban doctors over from Cuba.