A New Era: Wang Xiaoyuan presented his credentials to serve as Chinese Ambassador to Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno yesterday and announced that his country is pledging $30,000 to aid victims of a recent tornado that hit parts of San José.

Costa Rican artists are gearing up to exhibit their work in Chile in August as part of an event organized by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) and the Culture Ministry to promote Tico culture abroad.

Speakers Forum
On the movie “Freedom Writers,” starring Hillary Swank, the true story of a teacher in an inner-city area, with comments by educator Rosemary Zitek and Gail Nystrom, founder of the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, 6:45 p.m., Big Mike's Place, Escazú. Info: 289-6333, 821-4708, 289-6087.

Wood Octet and Intermediate Symphony Orchestra Concert
8 p.m., National Theater, San José, Ave. 2, Calle 3/5. Info: 221-9417.

By Peter Krupa
Tico Times Staff | pkrupa@ticotimes.net

In his first public appearance before the Costa Rican media since his arrival in the country last week, future Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaoyuan yesterday pledged a donation of $30,000 to help repair the damage done by a tornado that recently ripped through several southern neighborhoods of San José.

He remained tight-lipped, however, on the topic of whether China would pick up the tab for the $70 million in donations and financing Taiwan pulled from the country after Costa Rica switched diplomatic recognition to China (TT, June 15).

Wang also officially presented his credentials to Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno yesterday.

For now, Wang's official diplomatic position is as Director, charged by his government with setting up the new Chinese Embassy to Costa Rica. Later, he will be recognized as the new ambassador, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Wang said he is getting to know the city, visiting different neighborhoods and looking at buildings, but he has yet to select the site for the new embassy.

Alvaro Ortiz has become the first Costa Rican golfer to earn a spot on the starting field of the prestigious British Amateur Championship. The 38-year-old is playing in the world's most important amateur event at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf course in Lancashire, England, which began yesterday and ends Sunday, according to a statement from the Costa Rican National Golf Association (ANAGOLF).

“I'm very pleased about reaching one of my goals for the current season. Because of its strong field and rich history, playing the British Amateur promises to be a memorable experience,” Ortiz said. “Since my return to amateur golf, I set my sights on making it to the world's top events, and no amateur event is as important as the British Amateur.”
 
The first stage of the championship involves 288 players, each of whom plays two rounds of 18 holes, one on each of the two courses. Those who score the lowest over the 36 holes and those who tie for 64th place will go on to compete in the match-play stage of the championship, which begins Wednesday.

-Tico Times

Costa Rican artists are gearing up to exhibit their work in Chile in August as part of an event organized by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) and the Culture Ministry to promote Tico culture abroad.

The exhibit, called “The Possibilities of Expression: Representations of Costa Rican Art,” is scheduled to run from Aug. 23 to Oct. 7 at the Contemporary Art Museum in Santiago. Works from the 19 th, 20 th and 21 st century by artists including Adrián Arguedas, Federico Herrero and Joaquín Rodríguez are among those that will be on display.

The event is part of a seminar on investment opportunities in Costa Rica, which is scheduled for Aug. 20-24 in Santiago to create new markets for Costa Rican exporters and promote Chilean investment here.

The seminar will also include an exhibit of Costa Rican products available for export such as prepared foods, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and software.

Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz, Culture Minister María Elena Carballo, PROCOMER general manager Martín Zúñiga and Costa Rican Art Museum director Gabriela Sáenz plan to travel to Chile to attend the event.

In 2006, Costa Rica exported $14.8 million worth of goods to Chile including medicines, food preparations, aluminum sheets and textiles and imported $217.2 million worth of goods from that country including copper wire, plastic sheets, apples and wine.