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Source: RREE
Speaking from Beijing on January 8th, President Luis Guillermo Solis Rivera used strong words to describe his new foreign policy as it relates to the unprecedented and massive economic agreement between the Republic of Costa Rica and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As published in a communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“We are not here to talk about backroom deals that put Costa Rica in a position of not being accountable or transparent. We are not giving up a highway or an oil refinery in exchange for economic aid. This is simply not the policy of this administration; I would not be in agreement with such a thing.”
Adding to the above, President Solis stated that the $24 million donated by the PRC for development projects will be invested in a responsible and transparent manner.
“These are not discretionary funds; they will be utilized to complete projects slated on the National Development Plan; they will be used transparently and with proper accountability. We will not prevent the people of Costa Rica from learning about the benefits obtained from these financial resources.”
President Solis has emphasized that the cooperation funds donated by China are just part of a new stage of diplomacy and international relations between these two countries, which will work together as strategic partners:
“Our advanced relations with China allow us to see this [Asian] nation with a different sensibility; one that allows us to share no just visions of the future but also experiences. It is a dignified, solid and different kind of relationship.”
Earlier during his visit to Beijing, President Solis stated that he did not expect the $24 million pledged by the PRC government; however, it was highly expected that his visit would include the signing of a special agreement to create a Special Economic Zone, which in China consists of an industrial and business district where certain economic advantages are practiced for the purpose of creating employment and injecting economic stimulus in the community. To this effect, President Solis visited such a zone in the metropolitan area of Tianjin, where air quality levels have been so bad in previous times that officials have taken drastic measures to curb air pollution.
