Costa Rica to Strengthen
Cooperation With China
With Arias Visit
Against a background of
a nearly two-thirds
increase in bilateral
trade in the first seven
months of this year, the
Costa Rican government
is looking for an
impending state visit to
China to further boost
trade and relations.
In an exclusive
interview with Xinhua in
Beijing on Wednesday,
Costa Rican Ambassador
to China, Antonio
Burgués, said his
government hopes to
strengthen cooperation
in various areas such as
politics, economy and
culture to benefit the
people of the two
countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Liu Jianchao
announced Tuesday that
Costa Rican President
Oscar Arias Sanchez will
pay a state visit to
China from October 22 to
28 at the invitation of
Chinese President Hu
Jintao.
Burgués said the two
sides will sign
agreements on
investment, trade, and
tourism during Oscar
Arias Sanchez's visit.
More than 60 Costa Rican
businessmen will also
visit China and an
exhibition for export
commodities from Costa
Rica will be held in
Beijing.
Currently, China and
Costa Rica are
negotiating on setting
up a Confucius School in
Costa Rica, he added.
The 54 years old Burgués,
an economist, was
appointed as Costa Rican
Ambassador to China when
Costa Rica formally
established diplomatic
relations on June 1 this
year.
Burgués was the Economy,
Industry and Trade
Minister in Arias' prior
government (1986-1990)
and has been president
of Costa Rica's Chamber
of Exporters for the
last 12 years. Nine
years ago, Burgués
visited China when he
was the president of
Costa Rica's Chamber of
Exporters.
"Costa Rica is only a
small country in Central
America with 4.2 million
people. Though the
geographic distance and
different national
reality, both are
developing countries and
face the challenge of
developing their economy
and improving the living
standards of their
people", Burgues said.
Costa Rica's government
identifies with the
Chinese's government's
concepts of "people
first" and "promote
social progress through
economic development,"
he said, stressing that
the Costa Rican
government hopes to
strengthen cooperation
in various areas and
share its experience
with China in
environmental
protection, development
of clean energy and
promotion of social
welfare.
More than 60,000 Chinese
descendants live in
Costa Rica and their
industry has played an
important role in Costa
Rica's economic and
social development, he
said.
Burgues cited the
example of Franklin
Chang-Diaz, the first
professional astronaut
of Chinese origin at
NASA. Chang-Diaz was
born in San José and
Costa Ricans take pride
in him and his
achievements.
China and Costa Rica
posted us$1.56 billion
dollars of bilateral
trade in the first seven
months of this year, up
61.3 percent
year-on-year.
The Chinese side
predicted that trade for
the whole of 2007 will
reach us$3 billion
dollars, up from us$2.16
billion dollars reported
last year.
Currently, Costa Rica is
the eighth largest trade
partner of China in
Latin America and the
Caribbean, and China is
the second largest trade
partner of Costa Rica in
the world.
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