SAN JOSE, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis told Xinhua in a recent interview that closer relations with China have helped promote the country's development.
The president made the remarks following the inauguration of a Chinese-built and funded National Police Academy in the country's east-central province of Limon.
Cooperation between China and Costa Rica has been raised to a new level since they forged diplomatic relations 10 years ago.
"There are so many (bilateral) projects that are making a difference to people's lives," said Solis.
Many bilateral programs aim to improve Costa Rica's trade, security, and infrastructure, an area that has traditionally lacked investment, said the president.
The Chinese presence in Costa Rica dates back to at least 1855, when a group of Chinese rail workers arrived from neighboring Panama and found jobs in agriculture. Today, there is a sizable Chinese community in the country, especially in the capital of San Jose.
"Costa Rica is a country that identifies itself, in the first article of its Constitution, as multicultural and multiethnic, meaning we recognize we are the outcome of the presence of many peoples and many cultural traditions, one of the most important of which is perhaps the Chinese," said Solis.
China's relations with the Latin American region is "essential," given its significant role in global affairs and its influence as a world power, said the president.
To that end, he celebrated Panama's decision to establish diplomatic ties with China, saying it gave "added value" to China's presence in southern Central America.
"I hope that as a result of that decision by the government of China and the government of Panama, Costa Rica can also form part of this ecosystem of political and trade ties in southern Central America, and that with our decade of experience, plus Panama's trade impetus, we can establish a bridge, a trans-Pacific partnership with China, of great benefit for our countries," said Solis.
Solis said his country will focus on improving and expanding its free trade agreement with China.
