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HAVANA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday visited Fidel Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, in Havana.     The two leaders warmly shook hands, exchanged greetings and had a long conversation in a sincere and friendly atmosphere.     Hu said he was delighted to see Castro again. The comrades of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China "have all cared about your health and I brought their sincere greetings to you," he said.     "I see in person that you have recovered and have been energetic so I feel very pleased," he told Castro. Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) visits Fidel Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, in Havana, capital of Cuba, Nov. 18, 2008.    Castro extended a warm welcome to Hu for his second state visit to Cuba. "We are old friends. I am happy to see that you are as energetic as when I met you last time," he said.     Hu said that as the founder of the Cuban socialist revolution and construction, Castro is dearly adored by the Cuban people. During the past half century, Castro led the heroic Cuban people in their fearless struggle to safeguard state sovereignty and adhere to the path of socialism, thus winning respect from people worldwide, including the Chinese people.     Hu said that Castro has followed closely his country's development, showed great concern about people's life and dedicated himself to profound reflections of major strategic issues, such as international affairs and national development.     "Your thoughts and experience will surely guide the Cuban people to continue their march on the road of socialist construction," he said.     On Sino-Cuban relations, Hu said relations between the two countries have withstood the changes of international situation thanks to the joint efforts to forge and nurture their bilateral ties by generations of Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong, DengXiaoping and Jiang Zemin, and Castro and other Cuban leaders.     "The brotherly friendship between our two countries and two parties has been deeply rooted in the hearts of our two peoples," he said.     "The Chinese people will never forget that thanks to your concern and effort that Cuba became the first Latin American nation to forge diplomatic ties with China 48 years ago," he said.     Thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, the Sino-Cuban mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in all areas have been expanding continuously, and bilateral ties have entered a new era of all-round development, said Hu.     "Our two nations, parties and peoples have become reliable friends and brothers who share weal and woe," he said.     "What affected me and other Chinese leaders most is that you always pay close attention to China's development and remain committed to promoting friendly cooperation between our two countries," Hu added.     Hu noted that Castro ordered to send a medical team to China immediately after the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan, southwest China's Sichuan province on May 12.     The Cuban leader also made constant phone calls to offer instructions on the team's work in China, Hu added.     Moreover, in his article entitled China's Victory, Castro has showed his firm support for China on such major issues as Taiwan, Tibet and the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese president said.     The Cuban leader has also showed great concern about the Chinese students studying in Cuba and the progress of a joint ophthalmic hospital. "The Chinese people, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government will for ever remember all these," he said.     Castro expressed appreciation of China's relief and reconstruction efforts following the Wenchuan earthquake and other natural disasters. He once again congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics as well as the success of the Shenzhou-7 manned space mission.     Hu said that the Chinese government will always adhere to the principle of long-term friendship between China and Cuba. The Chinese people will, as always, support the just struggle of the Cuban people in safeguarding state sovereignty and opposing outside interference.     China will continue to provide assistance for Cuba within its capacity, and will firmly support the country's socialist cause, he said.     "We will work with the Cuban people to continuously push forward the development of friendship between China and Cuba," he added.     Castro said he and other Cuban comrades have followed closely "everything that happened in China."     "China has a large population and a culture of long standing and the Chinese people are known for their diligence," he said, adding that the Chinese people "have surmounted all manner of unimaginable difficulties and accomplished great achievements in construction."     "As the current international financial crisis is spreading, the Chinese economy has kept a sound momentum for development, demonstrating that China is the most prepared country," he said.     China is the most dynamic nation in the world and "no force can stop it from forging ahead," he said.     The two leaders also exchanged views on the two countries' economic development and major international and regional issues, including the international financial crisis and the world economy.     Before the conclusion of the meeting, Hu again expressed his heartfelt wish for Castro's good health. Castro, in return, expressed his gratitude.     Cuba is the third leg of Hu's five-nation trip. He has attended a Group of 20 summit on the financial crisis in Washington and visited Costa Rica.     He will also visit Peru and Greece, and attend the Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao recently made a site tour in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, to publicize a campaign for the Scientific Concept of Development.     It's an ideology with the same principles of the previous Party leaders' theories known as Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Important Thought of "Three Represents". The theories all say the CPC has always represented the most advanced productivity and culture in China, as well as the most fundamental interests of the majority of the Chinese people.     During his tour, which took place October 29-31, Hu explained the Scientific Concept of Development which was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee.     While talking with villagers in Hougoumen, Ansai County, Hu said the new policies, based on a practice of the Scientific Concept of Development, will bring substantial benefits to farmers by allowing them to lease their rights to contract cultivated land and forests. Undated photo shows General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao (R), who is also Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, chats with a villager during his visit to Hougoumen Village of Yanhewan Town in Ansai County of Yan'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Leaders of the CPC have visited nine places in the country to find out how well the Party members, officials and common citizens were learning and implementing Scientific Outlook on Development. It is considered an important guiding principle for China's economic and social development.    In the past, villagers were not allowed to lease their rights and as a result, their land was left unattended when they went to cities as transient workers.     "I believe that with the good policies of the Party and the hard efforts by the villagers, you will lead a better life in the future," said Hu, who is also the general secretary of the CPC and chairman of the Central Military Commission.     This is his second visit to Hougoumen Village. On the eve of the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year in 2006, Hu spent the festival night with villagers, having meals and joining in festive activities including a traditional dance.     Ansai, a county subordinate to Yan'an City, is Hu's site for the on-the-spot study of the ideological drive. Yan'an served as the capital for the CPC-led revolutionary base during the 1930s-40s, before the Party took over the power in 1949.     During his stay in Hougoumen this Oct., Hu learned about new progress made by the leadership of the village's Party branch. The villagers have had their income remarkably increased and their living standards much improved, Hu was told.     The village insisted on a Party Member Promise System. All the village cadres and applicants for Party membership are required to make the promise, according to Yang Fengqi, head of the village's Party branch.     Hu called the Party Member Promise System a good way to help Party members and cadres display their exemplary role.     "We must do what we have promised to do by actions," he stressed.     Hu visited a class of the local elementary school and talked with Kang Haifa, a villager whose family spent the 2006 Lunar New Year's eve with the leader at their cave house. Hu encouraged Kang, an agricultural technician, to help villagers with his skills on vegetable planting.     While in Ansai, the leader also visited Longshitou and Fangta villages and a rural hospital in Jianhua Town.     Showing concern for the heath care of rural people, Hu said the recent Third Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee decided to form a three-level medical network in the countryside. He said a health center will be set up and perfected for each town or township.     During his tour, Hu also visited the county government's complaints reception bureau and talked with officials about rural people's concerns. The officials told him that local villagers mainly cared lawsuits, land confiscation, reclamation of cultivated land to forests and contracting rights for farmland.     In meeting with the leader, local officials and villagers informed Hu of current reform of the managerial rights in the tree-planting sector. Now with the new policy, local people are working diligently to manage the forest while protecting the environment and ecology.     Hu urged local people to plant more trees in Ansai as it is located on the Loess Plateau, which is vulnerable to ecological damage.     At the end of his study trip, the top leader hosted a gathering to hear reports by some local officials who pledged to promote economic development by relying on science and technological progress.     In a key-note speech, Hu called for deepening awareness of the ideological drive, correctly understanding the general demands of the Party Central Committee and further promoting the implementation of the Scientific Concept of Development.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese media selected the 10 most popular phrases from the past three decades to mark the official 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, which falls on this month.     When China began to reform and open-up 30 years ago, people began experiencing, seeing and doing new things. In fact things were so new, they needed to create new words to describe what was happening.     In order of popularity, starting with number one:     "Go in for business"     In the 1980s when China was starting to transition from a planned economy to a market economy, it had a two-track pricing system (official and market prices) for industrial raw materials, including steel, non-ferrous metals, timber and coal.     Seeing business opportunities within the pricing system, many people, especially government employees and those from state-run factories or institutes, quit their jobs to open their own businesses.     "Going for business" was often used to refer to the phenomena of people breaking away from the constraints of a planned system to embrace the market economy. 　　"Be laid off and get re-employed"     To adapt to the market economy and improve competitiveness of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the 1990s, China began restructuring.     "Encouraging mergers, standardizing bankruptcy, laying off and reassigning redundant workers, streamlining for higher efficiency" was a guideline in the SOEs reforms.     No official statistics show how many workers were laid off during that period, but experts estimate the number could be tens of millions.     To avoid social unrest and help most of those workers find new jobs, the Chinese central government offered occupational trainings, small loans and preferential tax policies.     "Migrant worker"     China's reform and opening-up drive started in rural areas in 1978 with collectively-owned farmland contracted to individual families. This freed about 100 million peasants from farm work.     However, most of these people were tied to the countryside by a residence-based rationing system for virtually everything, including food. About 63 million of these former farmers were given jobs in village-run enterprises that mushroomed in those days.     A policy change in 1984 allowed them to find jobs in cities but the massive migration of rural laborers didn't start until after China decided to move to a market economy in 1992.     The rapid inflow of investors created many construction, factory and mining jobs, most of which urban dwellers consider too tiring or dirty.     The number of migrants grew from 60 million in 1992 to 120 million in 2003 and 210 million this year, according to central government figures.     The work of the migrant population has generated 21 percent of China's gross domestic product in the past 30 years, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has found. But migrant workers face various problems, including delayed pay schedules, no or low work-place injury compensation, lack of health care and little schooling for their children.     "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice."     This sentence was used by late leader Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, on different occasions to clear up doubts as to whether the economic reform was capitalist or socialist.     The sentence helped stop ideological arguments at the early stage of reform and encouraged generations of Chinese to pursue their dreams in the market economy. 　　"Surfing the Internet"     The Internet was introduced in China more than 10 years ago. It quickly gained popularity and impacted society.     While online music, instant communication services, video streaming and online games greatly entertained millions of Chinese, the Internet also became a powerful news medium where information was disclosed, shared and publicized quickly.     Through June, China had 221 million netizens, according to the Data Center of China Internet (DCCI). The netizen population, which had already surpassed that of the United States to become the world's largest, would increase to 263 million by the end of this year, DCCI forecasted.     E-commerce transactions amounted to 2 trillion yuan (about 300 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007 and 25 percent of netizens had bought something online after "surfing the Internet" as of June this year. 　　"Reform and opening-up"     In 1978, a group of villagers from Xiaogang village in eastern Anhui Province decided to adopt a household contract responsibility system, which entrusted the management and production of public owned farmland to individual households through long-term contracts.     Later the system, described by then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping as "a great invention of Chinese farmers", was widely adopted across the country and triggered economic reform.     Over the past 30 years, the country witnessed significant changes in comprehensive national strength, people's living standards and international influence thanks to the reform and opening-up policy.     China's share of the world's combined gross output rose to 6 percent at the end of 2007, compared with just 1.8 percent in 1978when its reform and opening-up began, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).     Fast economic growth over the past 30 years lifted China's GDP ranking in the world from 10th in 1978 to fourth after the United States, Japan and Germany     According to the NBS, China's per capita income jumped to 2,360U.S. dollars in 2007 from 190 U.S. dollars in 1978.     "Beijing Olympic Games"     Many believe that without opening-up, it would be impossible for China to host the 2008 Beijing Olympics.     The Games, commended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge as "truly exceptional", were seen by the world as China's come-of-age show on the international stage.     China grabbed a total of 100 medals at the Beijing Games -- a coincidence as the country dreamt for 100 years to be the Olympic host -- and overtook the United States to top the gold medal count with 51.     As the most watched Games in history, with an estimated 4.5 billion TV and Internet viewers, the Beijing Olympics attracted the most participants, who were from a record 204 countries and regions.     "Speculate in stocks"     In 1990, China opened its first stock exchange in Shanghai, the country's industrial and financial center. In 1991, it set up its second bourse in Shenzhen, the country's first special economic zone.     China witnessed waves of stock crazes over the years and fluctuations in the stock market touch the nerves of millions of Chinese.     In 2007, the country saw a bull stock market, with the key benchmark Shanghai Composite Index soaring from 2,728 points in January to 5,261 points, or 92.85 percent, on December 28.     In fact, the market has been on a bullish run for 29 months from June 6, 2005 to November 2007, longer than the general bullish market cycle of 17 to 24 months.     But it has dipped since last November.     "Chinese characteristics"     The phrase became well-known as an answer by late leader Deng to the question of how China could improve its productivity and people's lives with its less-developed economy.     Deng's answer was "to build socialism with Chinese characteristics". It means China has its own way of development rather than copying other countries' experiences.     The phrase is frequently quoted by the Chinese and used in China's official documents.     "Rise abruptly"     The phrase, or "Xiong Qi" in Chinese meaning "Go! Go!", is a dialect of southwest China's Sichuan Province. It was originally used by football fans to inspire teams in the 1990s.     The phrase soon became popular among the Chinese public and was used widely outside the sports field to encourage people to keep up their spirits.     After the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, Chinese used the phrase to show their care and support to the quake-affected areas and people.     The 10 phrases were selected by 15 Chinese media, including the Beijing Evening News, the Shanghai Evening Post, the Tianjin-based Jin Wan Bao, the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News and the Shanxi Evening News.     Newspapers, which are based in 15 provinces and municipalities, started soliciting catch phrases from the public in October, according to the Beijing Evening News.     The list, voted on by readers and netizens, was publicized in Shanghai on Saturday.

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BERLIN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in the German capital Berlin late Wednesday for an official visit to the country.     The premier is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and further cooperation between the two nations amid the global financial downturn.     Upon his arrival, Wen said in a statement that currently Sino-German relations are faced with a sound opportunity of development.     The two nations have maintained frequent high-level contacts, and economic and trade cooperation has been expanding steadily, Wen said.     Both sides also witnessed fruitful dialogues on such fields as science and technology, education, culture, and youth exchanges, he noted.     Bilateral consultation and coordination on international affairs have also been strengthened, he added.     The premier expected his meeting with Merkel would further enhance mutual trust and broaden consensus between the two nations.     Wen also expressed the belief that his visit will further push forward the Sino-German partnership, which bears a global responsibility.     Meanwhile, the premier, on behalf of the Chinese people, extended Chinese lunar new year greetings and good wishes to the German people.     During his two-day visit to Germany, Wen will also attend a forum on Sino-German economic and technical cooperation and deliver a speech.     Germany is the second leg of Wen's European tour after Switzerland, where he attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The trip will also take him to the European Union headquarters, Spain and Britain. 

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to slow to 9.4 percent in 2008 from last year's 11.4 percent as the shrinking exports will cool the world's fourth largest economy, according to a Chinese credit rating agency report on Sunday.     The fundamentals of the economy are sound, but falling export orders would take a toll on the national economy in the short term, and domestic consumption needed time to play a bigger role, said the report released by the China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co. (CCXI), a joint venture of China's first rating agency China Chengxin Credit Management Co. Ltd. and U.S.-based Moody's Corporation.     The changing external economic environment and the burst of domestic asset bubbles would exacerbate the slowing economy, said the report.     The proactive fiscal policy was key to preventing the economy from falling and there was room for further cuts in bank reserve requirement ratios and interest rates.     It predicted the economy would gain 8.6 percent in 2009, but it gave no explanation of its forecast.     China's economy grew at 9 percent in the third quarter, the slowest in five years, as the global financial crisis sapped demand for Chinese goods, and domestic industrial production waned in response to weak demand and rising raw material costs.     The government has lowered interest rates three times in the last two months, increased export rebates and cut property transaction taxes to boost domestic consumption.     The report said the world financial crisis would have limited direct impact on the domestic banking system, but it warned Chinese exporters of default risks of foreign buyers.     Insurers and securities companies would be affected as the domestic capital market was growing more connected to the international market.     In September, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank, projected China's GDP growth to fall to 10 percent this year and further ease to 9.5 percent in 2009.     The slow-down was a result of the combined effects of a reduced trade surplus, slower growth in investment, and the global economic downturn, the Asian Development Outlook 2008 Update has said.

LIMA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao said Sunday that China and Russia should strengthen strategic coordination at a time when the global political and economic structures are undergoing the most profound changes since the end of the Cold War.     Hu made the remarks at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the 16th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru.     China and Russia should make concerted efforts to overcome the impact of the ongoing global financial crisis, maintain the sound momentum of their economic growth, and push ahead with reforms of the international financial system, the Chinese president said. Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during their meeting in Lima, capital of Peru, Nov. 23, 2008.    Hu also called for efforts to earnestly carry out the outline on implementing the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.     The two nations should enhance consultation on strategic security, and conduct timely exchanges of views on major international and regional issues and coordinate their positions, Hu said.     On issues related to their core interests, China and Russia should continue to strengthen mutual support and coordination, he added.     Efforts should also be made to combine the development of the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership with market-oriented policies, so as to further promote their pragmatic cooperation in various fields, he said.     As for the Six-Party Talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Hu urged relevant parties to continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation, push forward the talks and strive for the gradual establishment of a mechanism for peace and security in Northeast Asia.     He expressed China's support for Russia's role as an initiator in the establishment of the mechanism, adding that the two countries should also enhance coordination in promoting regional economic cooperation.     Medvedev said the two countries should strengthen strategic consultation on issues relating to peace and security across the world and in the Asia-Pacific region.     Russia is willing to strengthen consultation and cooperation with China in jointly coping with the global financial crisis, the Russian president said.     The financial departments of the two countries could hold a meeting at an appropriate time to discuss how to implement the results of the financial summit of the G20 held a week ago in Washington and those of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, he said.     On the Six-Party Talks, the Russian president said relevant parties should properly handle their differences and make efforts to push forward the talks and promote peace and security in Northeast Asia.

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhou Yongkang met with Brunei Foreign and Trade Minister Prince Mohamed Bolkiah on Sunday evening.     The meeting came as Zhou made a transit stop in Brunei on his way back to China.     Zhou, one of the nine-member Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, hailed the sound and smooth growth of China-Brunei ties since the two forged diplomatic ties in 1991.     Zhou said that particularly in recent years, the all-round friendly cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened, thanks to the joint efforts of leaderships, governments and peoples of the two countries.     China and Brunei have been understanding, supporting and closely cooperating with each other on regional and international issues, he said.     Zhou also lauded Brunei's role as a coordinator in deepening the strategic partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).     Zhou said China would continue to pursue its long-term neighbor friendship with Brunei and would like to work with Brunei to take the relations to a new high.     Mohamed congratulated China on successfully hosting the Beijing Olympics and the summit of Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM).     The friendship between the peoples of China and Brunei can be traced back to the time earlier than the establishment of diplomatic ties, he said.     He pledged Brunei would support China's increasingly important role in regional and international affairs.     He said Brunei would like to work with China to seek common development.     Before his transit in Brunei on Sunday, Zhou concluded his fortnight trip to the three Asia-Pacific nations, namely Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia.

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has been studying a fuel tax reform to replace the current road tolls imposed upon vehicles, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, announced here on Thursday.     The announcement came after media reports said on Wednesday that the government was likely to impose the fuel tax as early as next month.     The NDRC together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport has jointly held discussions on related issues including abolishing road and waterway maintenance fees, lowering refined oil prices and improving the fuel pricing system.     The planner didn't specify when to launch the long-awaited reform.     The introduction of a fuel tax in China was first proposed in 1994 but has been delayed amid concerns that it would impose too great a burden on those who consumed more oil.     The government has instead collected road maintenance fees from automobile users regardless of how much gasoline or diesel oil they use.     Analysts said the on-going oil price drop presented a good opportunity for China to resume its fuel tax reform.     World crude oil prices fell to the current 53.62 U.S. dollars, down more than 60 percent from the peak price of 147 U.S. dollars in mid-July.

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SAN JOSE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday spoke highly of the rapid development of China-Costa Rica relations and pledged efforts to further expand bilateral cooperation in various fields.     During talks with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez on the second day of his state visit to the Central American nation, Hu said mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields has been growing steadily.     Noting the fast growth in bilateral ties over the past year, the Chinese president said the two countries have also carried out fruitful cooperation in international and regional affairs. Chinese President Hu Jintao(L) meets with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias(R) in San Jose, Costa Rica, Nov. 17, 2008    "Facts have proven that the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Costa Rica conforms to the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and peoples," Hu said. The two countries set up diplomatic ties in June 2007.     "The enhancement of Sino-Latin American mutually beneficial cooperation is conducive for our common development," Hu said, noting that the Chinese government has issued a Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean recently.     The two countries should make efforts to push for long-term, sound and stable development of bilateral ties and cooperation, Hu said.     "China is ready to work with Costa Rica to open up a bright future for bilateral ties characterized by mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, sincere cooperation and friendship for generations to come," he added.     On economic cooperation, Hu said the two countries should strengthen their cooperation mechanisms and expand areas of cooperation.     Hu hoped the two sides would reach agreement on a free trade pact at an early date, in the spirit of friendly consultations and mutual understanding and accommodation.     The Chinese government will continue to encourage competent Chinese enterprises to invest in Costa Rica, he said.     It will also support pragmatic cooperation between enterprises of the two countries in such key areas as infrastructure, agriculture, telecommunications and energy, he added.     Arias agreed with Hu's views and stressed the importance of strengthening trade and economic ties with China.     Costa Rica hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in port construction, development of high-tech parks as well as Chinese language teaching, he said.     Arias said he hoped the two countries would establish a dialogue mechanism at a higher level so as to further promote the development of bilateral ties.     The two leaders also exchanged views on the global financial crisis and agreed to strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs.     After their meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 11 cooperation agreements on trade, economy, finance, energy, education and technology, and announced the launch of bilateral negotiations on a free trade pact.     China is Costa Rica's second biggest trading partner. In 2007, bilateral trade amounted to 2.8 billion U.S. dollars, a 33-percentincrease over the previous year.     Also on Monday, Hu met with Francisco Pacheco, president of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly.     The Costa Rican legislators come from different political parties, but they have the consensus on maintaining and developing the friendship between the two countries, Hu said.     The Chinese president hoped the two countries' legislative bodies would strengthen contacts and make efforts to promote mutual understanding.     He also expressed the hope that Costa Rican legislators would play a greater role as a bridge linking up the two countries' business groups, cultural bodies, scientific institutes, news media and local governments in efforts to consolidate and expand the social foundation for the friendship between the two nations, Hu said.     Pacheco said the establishment of diplomatic ties has helped promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and also created a favorable environment for strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation.     After the establishment of diplomatic ties with China, Costa Rica now has an "important friend and partner" in the world, he said.     Speaking at the meeting, many Costa Rican legislators from different political parties agreed that the establishment of diplomatic ties is of strategic significance. They also thanked China for providing support and help for Costa Rica in its economic and social development.     The Chinese president, who is on a five-nation tour, flew in on Sunday from Washington, where he attended a Group of 20 summit on the current international financial crisis.     This is the fist state visit by a Chinese head of state to Costa Rica and Central America.     He will also visit Cuba, Peru and Greece, and attend the Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the Peruvian capital of Lima.