As President Xi visits Costa Rica, CCTV spoke exclusively to Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla in San Jose.
As President Xi visits Costa Rica, CCTV spoke exclusively to Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla in San Jose. Here's what she had to say about Sino-Costa Rican ties, past, present and future.
"2013 marks the 6th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Costa Rica. What's your view on the development of bilateral trade between the two countries? And how do you evaluate China's performance as a trade partner of Costa Rica?"
Laura Chinchilla, President, Costa Rica, said, "As you said, China and Costa Rica have established diplomatic ties 6 years ago. And it's a great honor to welcome Chinese President, Xi Jinping on a two-day state visit to our country. Although the relationship between the two countries is relatively 'young', it has been a very beneficial relationship, not only in mutual cooperation, but also in trade and investment. We are already cooperating in many key areas, such as infrastructure and environmental sustainability. And we have signed the most important paper, the China-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement, which is now implemented and has scored remarkable achievements. To date, most key products from China and Costa Rica have been traded between the two markets. The trade is balanced, or to say the trade continues to grow. So, we're very optimistic about the future of our bilateral ties."
"So, how do you see the trend of bilateral trade?"
Laura Chinchilla, President, Costa Rica, said, "It's very positive. I think both of us could benefit from the cooperation, trade and investment in a very short amount of time. China has recognized Costa Rica as a very important trading partner in Latin America. So, I think China could strengthen its presence in Latin America through its cooperation with us. At last, the bilateral ties have helped that our people get to know each other better, because we have had cultural exchange. We have met at international sports events, so we are also forging relationships on the level of our citizens."
"The free trade agreement between China and Costa Rica came into effect on August 1, 2011. What are the economic achievements in Costa Rica over the past two years thanks to the FTA?"
Laura Chinchilla, said, "First, I think the FTA is a good signal for those who are engaged in import and export products between the two countries. This is a market between China and Costa Rica, with a future. And there are clear rules and laws to regulate the market. Second, we have been focusing on the implementation of the FTA since it has been signed. And we also signed many other agreements that help the FTA to become effective. I believe that through the visit of President Xi we will be able to see that a lot of key products of Costa Rica are about to enter the Chinese market."
