China to set up trade office in Costa Rica

China's Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) will set up its representative office in Costa Rica by the end of the year, Wang Junzhen, vice president of CCPIT, said in Costa Rica yesterday.

The office will be China's first trade office in Central America and is expected to help promote trade relations between China and Costa Rica, especially the business communications between entrepreneurs of the two countries, according to Wang.

In April, 2007, Costa Rica's Chamber of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Business Representatives (CRECEX) also opened a trade office in Beijing as the Central American country poised to enter Asian markets.

In recent years, CRECEX has taken dozens of Costa Rican businessmen as well as entrepreneurs from other Central American countries to China to participate in trade fairs and seek cooperation with Asian entrepreneurs.

Last year, Costa Rica's exports to China reached US$558 million, up 132% compared to 2005.