尽管中国经济增长乏力，但哥斯达黎加还是希望中国帮助填补其不断扩大的财政赤字。目前，哥斯达黎加正就发行10亿美元债券事宜与中方展开商谈。

　　Commodities producers in Latin America have long seen China as a deep-pocketed ally, and Costa Rica will be hoping it can emulate Venezuela and Ecuador, which have both secured Chinese funding this year as they battle the oil price crash.

　　长期以来，拉美大宗商品生产国一直把中国视为资金雄厚的盟友，哥斯达黎加希望自己可以效仿委内瑞拉和厄瓜多尔，后两个国家都在今年应对油价暴跌之时获得了中方的资金。

　　“We’re in the initial stages of negotiations,” Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Solís told the Financial Times in New York. He acknowledged, however, it was “not the best time for China”.

　　“我们正处于谈判的初始阶段，”哥斯达黎加总统路易斯吉列尔莫∠利斯(Luis Guillermo Solis)在纽约告诉英国《金融时报》。不过，他承认，现在“对中国而言并非最佳时机”。

　　Costa Rica’s ties with China have deepened since 2007, when the Latin American nation severed ties with Taiwan and established relations with Beijing. Beijing rewarded that decision by buying $300m in bonds at a preferential 2 per cent interest rate. Costa Rica's sovereign debt was cut to junk status last year, and the new bond would again have a favourable rate.

　　2007年以来，哥斯达黎加与中国的关系一直在加深。那一年，这个拉美国家切断了与台湾的关系，并与北京方面建立了外交关系。作为对这一决定的回报，北京方面以2%的优惠利率购买了3亿美元哥斯达黎加国债。去年，哥斯达黎加主权债券评级被下调至垃圾级，此次新发行的债券将再次提供优惠利率。

　　Mr Pacheco, speaking by telephone from San José, said a proposal had been submitted to the Chinese and he hoped for a reply within six weeks as “2016 is just around the corner and we’d like to have the funds to start the year”.

　　哥斯达黎加代理财政部长何塞弗朗西斯科帕切科(Jose Francisco Pacheco)在圣何塞接受电话采访时表示，哥斯达黎加已向中国提交一项方案，他希望中方在六周内作出答复，因为“2016年即将到来，我们希望能在年初时获得资金”。

　　Mr Solís, who was seeking to drum up investment, referred to China “a strategic partner”. Beijing is building a key highway linking the capital with a $1bn container port at Puerto Moín to double capacity for the world’s top pineapple exporter. Mr Solís visited Beijing this year and the two nations agreed to set up a special economic area in Costa Rica for Chinese investment and to “promote a growing Chinese presence in the region”.

　　索利斯正竭力招揽投资，他把中国称作哥斯达黎加的“战略合作伙伴”。中国正在哥斯达黎加修建一条重要的高速公路，将把该国首都圣何塞与莫因港(Puerto Moín)价值10亿美元的集装箱港口连接起来，令这个全球最大菠萝出口国的出口能力提高一倍。索利斯今年曾访问中国，两国同意在哥斯达黎加设立一个面向中方投资的特别经济区，并“推动中国增强在该地区的影响力”。