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 here on Wednesday, Costa Rican Ambassador to China, Antonio Burgues, 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 President Oscar Arias Sanchez will pay a state visit to China from October 22 to 28 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

 

Burgues 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, he said.

 

Currently, China and Costa Rica are negotiating on setting up a Confucius School in Costa Rica, he added.

 

The 54 years old Burgues, an economist, was appointed as Costa Rican Ambassador to China when Costa Rica formally established diplomatic relations on June 1 this year.

 

Burgues 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, Burgues visited China when he was the president of Costa Rica's Chamber of Exporters.

 

Burgues said: "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."

 

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 R. Chang-Diaz, the first professional astronaut of Chinese origin at NASA, saying Chang-Diaz was born in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, and Costa Ricans take pride in him.

 

China and Costa Rica posted US$1.56 billion 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, up from US$2.16 billion 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.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2007)