Panama hopes to open a new bilateral panorama with Varela's visit to China

The president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, will leave on Tuesday for China to fulfill an official visit with the hope to open a new and more dynamic economic, commercial and tourism between the two countries, which established diplomatic ties last June.

Panama, November 13 (EFE) .- The president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, will leave on Tuesday for China to fulfill an official visit with the hope to open a new and more dynamic panorama economic, commercial and tourist between the two countries, which established diplomatic ties last June.

China is the second most important user of the Panama Canal, where it passes 6% of world trade, and is the first supplier of the Colon Free Zone (CFZ), the largest in the hemisphere located in the Panamanian Caribbean.

Varela will be the first president of Panama in visit China officially and will be accompanied by ministers and businessmen to sign a dozen bilateral agreements.

"There are already enough agreements agreed and closed for the signature by the competent authorities in Beijing on November 17 (...) that will bring air connectivity, a greater presence of companies in the country, greater connectivity in tourism, cultural, educational, "said Varela last Friday, when he announced that he was traveling on Tuesday.

The Chancellery of Panama indicated that the ten agreements to be signed during the "historic" visit of Varela lay the foundations for the attraction of investment and Chinese innovation to Panama, which when imported from the Asian giant goods and services by 1,183 million dollars in 2016.

The agreements open the compass to increase the country's exports to China, which in 2016 bought goods for a total of 50.9 million dollars, and will boost tourism and the Panamanian merchant marine, the largest in the world with more than 8,000 registered ships.

In addition "they will allow to start up large infrastructure works of transport and energy "in the Central American country, said the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the official visit of President Varela, by invitation from its counterpart in that country, Xi Jinping, will be held between November 16 and 22.

A brief review of the official agenda issued by the Panamanian Foreign Ministry indicates that in Beijing Varela will officially inaugurate the first Panamanian embassy in that country.

This legation opened at the end of July, since he already carries out "all the diplomatic functions and Consular correspondents ", as reported on the 25th of that month the Foreign Ministry of the Central American country.

The Panamanian head of state will meet in Beijing with authorities China to advance on specific issues of the bilateral agenda, with representatives of Chinese companies "that invest and / or seek to have a presence in Panama", and will preside over two forums business.

Varela will move to Shanghai on November 20, where the first Panamanian Consulate will be inaugurated in that city and a fair will take place in which the country will present its tourist offer.

The Panamanian president will be accompanied by the first lady, Lorena Castillo; Economy and Finance, Dulcidio De La Guardia; Maritime of Panama, Jorge Barakat, among other high officials.

Panama and China established diplomatic ties on June 13 to the detriment of Taiwan, and since then they have given steps for its approach, as the opening of their respective embassies, the Chinese in the Panamanian capital on September 17 during a visit by the Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in the that the negotiations of about twenty agreements were advanced.

"Despite certain setbacks in the China-Panama relationship, binational ties have finally entered into a correct current of the time. The two countries' deadline, "said Wang then.

Panama also relaxed the immigration rules for the Chinese, who since October 17 require a stamped visa, no longer the restricted as it was until that day.