Costa Rica wants closer ties with China

SHANGHAI -- Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla Miranda has called for closer economic and trade ties between China and her country.

Chinchilla, who arrived at the Chinese economic hub on Sunday for a week-long visit to China, made the appeal during a meeting with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, on Monday. She believes Costa Rica could be a logistic platform in the western Hemisphere for Chinese companies.

Costa Rica hopes to expand cooperation with Shanghai in investment, trade, clean energy, education and tourism, she told Han, highlighting her country's position, rich human resource and free trade agreements linked with major world economies, including China.

She also pledged to improve visa policy to attract Chinese tourists.

Han, in his turn, hailed the current trade ties between Costa Rica and Shanghai, which stood at $1.2 billion in 2011 with 50 percent year-on-year growth.

Chinchilla will leave Shanghai on Tuesday for Beijing.