Costa Rica

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2013, the practical cooperation in various fields between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Costa Rica further progressed.

The two countries had frequent high-level exchange of visits. From 2 to 4 June, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Costa Rica. During the visit, he held talks with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla Miranda and met with President of the Legislative Assembly Luis Fernando Mendoza Jiménez. He also met with Mayor of San José Johnny Araya Monge and received the "Key of the City". Eight cooperation documents were signed between relevant departments of the two sides in business, quality inspection and other fields. In November, Wang Qinmin, Vice CPPCC Chairman and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, visited Costa Rica and attended the opening ceremony of the Seventh China-Latin America and Caribbean Business Summit. In February, Qiang Wei, Secretary of the CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Qinghai Provincial People's Congress, visited Costa Rica. In April, the First Vice President of Costa Rica Alfio Piva Mesén stopped over in Beijing and met with Vice President Li Yuanchao. In May, President of the National Liberation Party of Costa Rica Bernal Jiménez Monge visited China and met with Zhang Gaoli, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. In July, President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica Mendoza paid an official visit to China. NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang and NPC Vice Chairman Chen Changzhi held talks and met with him respectively.

Economic cooperation and trade between the two countries continued to grow and the area of cooperation expanded. Breakthrough was made in quality inspection. Costa Rica began to export dairy products and other products of greater variety to China. The banking sectors of both sides reached agreement on enhancing financial cooperation.

Cooperation in agriculture and education was conducted smoothly. The two sides agreed to establish a demonstration center of high yield hybrid rice in Costa Rica. Technical cooperation of Chinese language teachers continued.