On July 9, 2013, Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with Luis Fernando Mendoza, President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, at the Great Hall of the People.

Zhang Dejiang said, since the establishment of diplomatic relationship, China and Costa Rica have enjoyed frequent high-level exchanges, deepened political mutual trust and fruitful cooperation. President Xi Jinping recently paid a successful visit to Costa Rica, opening up a new chapter of China-Costa Rica relations. China is willing to make joint efforts with Costa Rica to well implement the outcomes of President Xi Jinping's visit, to push forward bilateral friendly cooperation up to a new step. It is believed that China-Costa Rica cooperation will benefit the two countries and the two peoples, and also play an exemplary and promoting role in boosting the relationship between China and other countries in the region.

Zhang Dejiang stressed that exchanges between legislative bodies are important part of state relations. The purpose and objectives of cooperation between the legislative bodies conform to the direction of the development of overall bilateral relations. In order to further strengthen friendly cooperation between the NPC and the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, he raised three-point proposals: first, to enhance mutual trust and to cement the political basis. China firmly supports Costa Rica choosing its own development path in accordance with the national conditions. The Chinese side thanks the Costa Rican government and Legislative Assembly for adhering to the One China principle on issues concerning Taiwan and Tibet. Hope the two sides will continue to strengthen support to each other on issues concerning each other's core interests to jointly promote the sound development of bilateral relations. Second, to push forward economic and trade cooperation and to promote economic growth. Both sides should exploit to the full play the advantages of the specific committees of the two countries with the talented people, intensive knowledge and wide connections. To actively promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, science and technology and to open up broader prospects for deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Third, to strengthen friendly cooperation and to provide legal safeguard. China and Costa Rica are different for national conditions, while facing the same tasks of developing the economy and improving people's livelihood. The legislative bodies of the two countries need to share more experience on building up democratic legal system and state governance to create a sound legal environment for mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Mendoza said that with increasingly close friendly exchanges between Costa Rica and China, the mutual understanding and friendly feelings between the two countries and the two peoples have been continuously increased. Costa Rica looks forward to further developing friendly relations with China in the fields of politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges. Costa Rica is willing to play as a bridge for promoting the relationship between China and Latin American countries. The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly is willing to boost exchanges and cooperation with the NPC to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy, trade, investment and tourism as well as exchanges at local levels, to make new greater contributions to in-depth development of Costa Rica-China relations. Mendoza reiterated that Costa Rica will abide by the One China policy.