CR Reviews Asian Strategy
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Monday, November 15 2010 06:39
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 717
Foreign Minister Rene Castro and his ambassadors to Asian countries recently gathered in China to review their strategies for taking advantage of Far Eastern technology. He also presented his country as a "green" haven of sustainable development apt for investment.
Castro, his Foreign Policy director Jairo Hernandez, along with Costa Rican ambassadors to China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Qatar and India, meeting in Beijing, agreed to coordinate their efforts.
Notable was the inclusion of the ambassador to India. Costa Rican foreign policy has not placed top priority on India in the past but is among the nations waking up to that country's potential. India currently has a booming economy growing at eight percent per year and many economists expect that rate over the long term while China's rapid growth may slow somewhat.
At the meeting, Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Anabel Gonzalez was careful to point out that her country already has free trade agreements with China and Singapore as well as one under negotiation with South Korea.
Castro was also quoted by the Chinese news agency Xinhua as inviting the ambassadors to return to their country to attend the planned "Asia Innovation" exposition to strengthen ties to Asia.
Meanwhile, National Liberation Party chairman Bernal Jimenez met with Li Yuanchao, a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee in Beijing to talk over ways to further strength ties between the countries. Liberation Party has the largest number of deputies in Costa Rica's congress and won the presidency in the 2010 election.
Li praised China-Costa Rica cooperation that has advanced rapidly after having established diplomatic relations only three years ago. He credited the advance to frequent high level exchanges of visits.
The Chinese government also has promised to increase cultural exchanges between the countries.
