On July 18, 2013, Vice President Li Yuanchao held talks with Vice President Jorge Arreaza of Venezuela in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li Yuanchao said Venezuela is China's major cooperative partner in Latin America and that bilateral relations have witnessed rapid growth in recent years. The two sides should seize the opportunities, lay out together a blueprint for the future development of bilateral relations with close high-level contacts, expansion of practical cooperation in the fields of energy, finance and agriculture, increase of exchanges on experiences of state governance, to enrich and deepen unceasingly the strategic partnership of common development between the two countries.

Arreaza said the new government of Venezuela will continue to take the relations with China as a priority. Venezuela is willing to learn more from China for the experience in development, and to strengthen friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields with China, to better benefit the two peoples.

Prior to the talks, Li Yuanchao held the welcome ceremony for Arreaza. Ma Peihua, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was present.