On October 11, 2007, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Jinzhang met in the office building of the Foreign Ministry with a delegation of senior editors and journalists from mainstream media in Costa Rica. Li took questions from the journalists on bilateral ties and cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, investment and tourism, as well as on China-Latin America relations.

Li made positive comments on bilateral ties. He said despite the distance keeping the two countries apart and their different national realities, China and Costa Rica, both developing countries, share broad common interest. The establishment of diplomatic ties this June has opened up a new chapter for the relations between the two countries, thus laying a sound political foundation for enhanced friendly cooperation on politics, economy, trade, culture, education, science, technology and tourism, he said. The Chinese government attaches great importance to developing its friendly cooperative ties with Costa Rica, said Li. Describing President Oscar Arias's upcoming visit to China as a historic event in bilateral ties, Li expressed belief that it will further push forward mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas.

When talking about economic and trade cooperation, Li said as the two countries are highly complementary in economy, there is huge potential for their cooperation. The forging of diplomatic ties has created good conditions for the business communities of the two countries to strengthen mutual understanding and conduct cooperation of mutual benefit, said the vice foreign minister, adding that the businesses are highly enthusiastic about the cooperation. China is ready to continue working with Costa Rica to support and encourage exchanges and cooperation between businesses of the two countries, in a bid to push bilateral economic and trade relations to a new level, he added.

On China-Latin America ties, Li said both China and Latin American countries are developing nations and share broad common interest on the issues of peace and development. China attaches great importance to conducting all-round cooperation with Latin American countries in the fields of politics, economy, trade, culture, science, education and culture. Li emphasized that with the deepening of the ties, China has carried out more exchanges and cooperation with the Latin American countries that are yet to establish diplomatic ties with China. The Chinese government is ready to forge normal state-to-state relations with relevant countries based on the spirit of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions and on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, he added.

Li expressed hope that the journalists, through the visit, will gain an in-depth understanding of the developing China and offer their people comprehensive, objective reporting on China and the development of relations between the two countries, so as to play a positive role in building understanding and friendship between the two peoples and pushing forward bilateral ties.

The journalists expressed their eagerness over the years to know more about China. They said this visit helps them fulfill the long-cherished wish and pledged to introduce what they have seen and heard here to their people in an effort to build up mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Besides Beijing, the delegation will also visit Xi'an and Shanghai.