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Hu, Arias to discuss free trade deal

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-18 07:48

President Hu Jintao waves to journalists on his arrival at Juan Santamaria Airport in Costa Rica on Sunday. Agencies

President Hu Jintao arrived in Costa Rica on Sunday evening and was scheduled to begin talks with his counterpart Oscar Arias yesterday morning local time (11:45 pm in Beijing).

His visit to San Jose is the highest-level ever by a Chinese leader to Costa Rica, and follows the establishment last year of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

During their talks, Hu and Arias, who visited China last year, are expected to discuss the development of a free trade deal, which could be finalized by 2010, and also sign 11 other agreements, diplomatic sources said yesterday.

Costa Rica gave up six decades of relations with Taiwan when it became the first Central American country to open diplomatic ties with China on June 1, 2007.

Since then, the pair has signed more than 20 pacts on the economy, culture, technology and sports, Costa Rican ambassador to Beijing Antonio Burgues said.

Costa Rica is set to become the third Latin American country, after Chile and Peru, to negotiate a free trade accord with China.

Huang Shikang, who has served as Chinese ambassador to several Latin American countries, said yesterday: "President Hu's decision to visit Costa Rica is of great importance not only because he is the first Chinese leader to set foot on Central American soil, but also because it shows China's recognition of the country's strategic position."

The relationship between the two countries has grown rapidly in the past year and a half, and there is great potential for economic cooperation, he said.

China has increased diplomacy and investment in Latin America in recent years, and earlier this month released its first policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Huang said the document outlines the guiding principles for future cooperation with Latin America, and reflects China's closer and more frequent interactions with the region.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said earlier that China has shared interests with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in how to tackle non-traditional security threats.

Hu arrived in Costa Rica from the G20 financial summit in Washington, and will next travel to Cuba before attending the APEC summit in Peru at the weekend.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/18/2008 page3)