China’s president to visit Costa Rica

China’s President Xi Jinping will visit Costa Rica June 2-4, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla announced Monday on her Twitter account.

“I celebrate the confirmation of the visit to Costa Rica” by the Chinese president in his first trip to Latin America, Chinchilla tweeted.

Details of the trip are not yet public, but a week ago Costa Rican Foreign Vice Minister Carlos Roverssi said an official invitation had been sent.

Xi Jinping also will visit Mexico and Venezuela during the trip.

Costa Rica is the only Central American country with official diplomatic ties to China, established in 2007 following the termination of a decades-long diplomatic relationship with Taiwan.

Costa Rica has received significant donations from China, including an $80 million national football stadium in western San José, automobiles and other equipment for the Public Security Ministry and National Police Academy, and a Chinese arch for the fledgling Chinatown, a pet project of San José mayor and ruling party presidential candidate Johnny Araya.

More details on the visit are forthcoming, officials said.