Chinese president arrives in Costa Rica for state visit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-17 06:53

SAN JOSE -- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in San Jose on Sunday for a state visit to Costa Rica aimed at enhancing China's relations with the Central American nation.

Hu will meet his Costa Rican counterpart Oscar Arias Sanchez on expansion of bilateral cooperation, Chinese diplomats said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his wife Liu Yongqing wave upon arrival at Juan Santamaria airport in Alajuela November 16, 2008. Jintao is on a two-day official visit to Costa Rica. [Agencies]

During Hu's visit, the two countries are expected to sign bilateral agreements on cooperation in the economic, trade and technological sectors.

This is the first state visit to Costa Rica by a Chinese head of state since the two countries set up diplomatic ties in June 2007.

China is Costa Rica's second biggest trade partner. In 2007, bilateral trade registered a 33-percent increase over the previous year, totaling 2.8 billion U.S. dollars.

The Chinese president, who is on a five-nation trip, flew into San Jose from Washington, where he attended the Group of 20 summit on the current international financial crisis.

He will later visit Cuba, Peru and Greece, and attend the Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Organization (APEC) forum in the Peruvian capital of Lima.