On the afternoon of April 20, 2013, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Arken Imirbaki, vice-chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee and the special envoy of President Xi Jinping in Caracas. The two sides reached consensus on the further development of bilateral strategic partnership.

Arken Imirbaki congratulated Maduro on his inauguration as Venezuelan president and presented him a handwritten letter of congratulations from Xi. Maduro thanked China for sending a special envoy to attend his swearing-in ceremony and expressed deep condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Lushan county, Ya'an city of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The two sides reached consensus on further strengthening strategic cooperative ties between the two countries in the fields of petroleum, finance, industry, agriculture, science and technology.

Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Mines Rafael Ramirez, Trade Minister Edmée Betancourt, Foreign Minister Elias Jaua and Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Zhao Rongxian attended the meeting. Before the meeting, Arken Imirbaki, accompanied by Maduro, paid silent tribute to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez before his grave.

Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela's president on April 19 at a ceremony held in the National Assembly. At the invitation of the government of Venezuela, Arken Imirbaki, as special envoy of President Xi Jinping, attended the inauguration ceremony of the new President Nicolas Maduro and the subsequent military parade.