Costa Rica's Chamber of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Business Representatives (CRECEX) announced Tuesday the opening of a trade office in China, which is aimed at helping enhance trade between Central American and Asian countries.

CRECEX's Foreign Trade Commission president Helga Cespedes said in a statement that Central America "is ready to enter Asian markets" and "this is why we have chosen China to open the first trade office."

The trade office will facilitate CRECEX's actions for entrepreneurs of Asia, Costa Rica and other Central American countries, and search for markets, suppliers and trade associations, he said.

In recent years, CRECEX has taken dozens of Central American entrepreneurs, most of them Costa Ricans, 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 percent compared to 2005.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has expressed interest in reaching free trade agreements with Asian countries.

(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2007)