Costa Rica receives donation, loan as part of “cooperation agreement” with China

December 5^th, 2012 (InsideCostaRica.com) The Government of Costa Rica yesterday afternoon signed four new agreements of cooperation with the President of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin, who arrived in the country yesterday afternoon.  Although the cooperation agreements include a $ 4.8 million donation and a loan of the same amount, the Costa Rican Chancellor Enrique Castillo said he does not yet know for what purpose the funds would be used.

According to Castillo, the use of the funds would be defined according to what is established by the two countries. Castillo insisted that the idea of the donation came from China, and that the Chinese have not suggested any particular use of the funds. ”The idea came to them, by the friendship between our two countries. This is not something that has been negotiated with visits to China, and I’m not sure when China made the decision to make the donation.”

The Chancellor described the donation as a goodwill gesture of China. “Costa Rica accepts it with gratitude and there is nothing unusual or questionable. The country does not have to give anything back.”

The Chinese will also be providing six teachers and covering all expenses as part of a project to teach the Mandarin language at the National Training Institute (INA).

The agreements were signed by Chancellor Castillo and President of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin.