Xi gives joint written interview to media of Caribbean countries(3)

Q: How do you view the growth of China's relations with Costa Rica? What are your expectations of bilateral cooperation in the future?

A: President Laura Chinchilla paid a state visit to China in August 2012. We had a very nice meeting. President Chinchilla's willingness to develop relations with China left a deep impression on me.

Although China and Costa Rica established diplomatic ties only six years ago, the two sides have seen rapid and steady development of bilateral ties as well as fruitful cooperation in all fields. Bilateral relations have become a model of cooperation between countries of different size and national conditions.

Costa Rica is the third Latin American country to sign a free trade pact with China. The pact came into effect in August 2011. The national stadium of Costa Rica, which was built with the assistance of China, has become the symbol of friendship between the two peoples. The Confucius Institute at the University of Costa Rica is the fist of its kind in Central America, and it has provided a platform for promoting understanding and friendship between the two countries. Facts have proved that bilateral friendly and cooperative relations conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people and that they have strong vitality and huge space for development.

Q: How do you view the development of bilateral relations between China and Mexico?

A: China and Mexico are both newly emerged economies and large developing countries that serve as a strategic partner and major development opportunity for each other. In April, President Enrique Pena Nieto visited China to attend the Annual meeting of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia. We had a very good conversation and reached important consensus on strengthening bilateral relations. In two months, I will pay a state visit to Mexico. The top leaders of the two countries exchanging visits in a short period of time reflects the great importance that both sides attach to China-Mexico relations.

Since China and Mexico established diplomatic relations 41 years ago, especially since the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2003, bilateral relations have seen great development as the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields brought about tangible benefits to the people of both countries. China-Mexico relations have adopted increasing significance in strategic and general terms. The two sides have maintained close communication and cooperation on major global issues and pushed the development of international order and system toward a more just and rational direction. The development of China-Mexico relations has played an important role in promoting world peace and stability.

I am looking forward to further exchanges of views with President Pena Nieto on deepening practical cooperation between the two countries during my visit and to pushing bilateral relations to a new stage.