On July 21, 2014, President Xi Jinping and President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela jointly attended the closing ceremony of the 13th Meeting of the China-Venezuela High-level Mixed Committee in Caracas.
President Xi Jinping congratulated on the fruitful results of the Meeting and pointed out that the China-Venezuela High-level Mixed Committee, as an important cooperation mechanism of the two governments, has participated in and witnessed the whole process of the vigorous development of China-Venezuela relations. For more than ten years, relevant departments of the two countries have conducted top-level design and planning and coordination of China-Venezuela cooperation through this mechanism, making practical cooperation the pillar and highlight of China-Venezuela relations. China has become Venezuela's second largest trading partner and oil importer, while Venezuela is China's fourth largest trading partner in Latin America. The volume of bilateral trade in 2013 was 25 times that of 2001. The Chinese side has provided support for over 220 economic construction and livelihood projects in Venezuela through bilateral financing cooperation mechanisms and carried out a multitude of cooperation projects. Just now, President Maduro and I jointly witnessed the signing of a series of important cooperation documents. They are like concrete steps building the development path of comprehensive strategic partnership of the two countries.
Xi Jinping stressed that China is comprehensively deepening reforms, expanding opening-up and promoting sustainable and healthy economic development, all of which will provide more space for China-Venezuela cooperation. We welcome Venezuela to actively participate in this process and share the opportunities of China's development. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Venezuelan side to unswervingly pursue sincere friendship, support each other with the deepest sincerity, strengthen practical cooperation, constantly forge ahead and realize mutual benefit and win-win results and common development. Let us join hands to firmly seize the opportunities and jointly create a brighter future for bilateral relations.
Maduro expressed that President Xi Jinping's state visit to Venezuela is of historic significance. The visit has achieved fruitful results, pushed the bilateral relations to a new level of comprehensive strategic partnership and ushered in a new era of Venezuela-China cooperation. Venezuela-China cooperation is based on brotherly friendship, mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit, which promotes the economic and social development of Venezuela. The Venezuelan side congratulates on the remarkable achievements that China has scored in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, hopes to draw on China's development experience and strengthen cooperation in various fields with the Chinese side, and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and conduct business in Venezuela. The Venezuelan side has full expectation for the future of bilateral relations.
Prior to the closing ceremony, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents of the two sides in such fields as energy, finance, infrastructure construction, mining, agriculture and advanced technology.
Both sides issued the Joint Statement on Establishing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others attended the meeting.