SAN JOSE, June 4 -- China and Costa Rica have seen their relations developing with great momentum since the two countries formally established diplomatic ties in June 2007, said Chinese Ambassador to Costa Rica Song Yanbin.

"During these eight years, bilateral ties have made notable progress, transformed into increasingly consolidated mutual political trust, and fruitful results in pragmatic cooperation and friendly exchange in different areas," said Song.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Costa Rica in June 2013 and in return for this, his Costa Rican counterpart Luis Guillermo Solis visited Beijing in January, signaling the good state of bilateral relations.

Bilateral trade has been greatly boosted since 2011 when a China-Costa Rica free trade agreement went into effect, said Ambassador Song.

Bilateral trade grew to 5.3 billion U.S. dollars last year, a 145-percent increase over 2006.

According to the Chinese diplomat, China has been helping Costa Rica with building a range of projects, including construction of a new National Police Academy and other public works, such as renovating the roadway connecting San Jose, the national capital of Costa Rica, and the Port of Limon.

"The recent state visits by the presidents of both countries confirm the willingness of the two nations to expand existing ties. Today we can see the benefits of this mutual relationship," said the minister of the presidency, Sergio Alfaro, on behalf of Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis, at a dinner thrown Wednesday to celebrate eight years of diplomatic ties and friendship between the two countries. "Even though our relationship with China is recent, it is ready to make the leap towards long-term ties with a political, social, trade and cultural agenda that promotes a strategic alliance of cooperation and development based on seven central topics: finance, infrastructure, comprehensive territorial development, trade and investment, citizen security, environment and energy, and social promotion."

The event, jointly organized by China's Embassy in San Jose and the Costa Rican Association of Friendship with China and held at one of the national capital's leading hotels, brought together political celebrities from the Central American country and members of the Chinese expatriate community.