San Jose, Costa Rica - Chinese President Hu Jintao is set to visit Costa Rica next month, 17 months after the Central American nation broke 63 years of ties with Taiwan to establish a diplomatic link with Beijing, Costa Rican authorities said Wednesday.

During his November 17 visit, Hu is set to meet with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, to discuss bilateral ties in the fields of politics, trade and cooperation.

Costa Rican Congress Speaker Francisco Antonio Pacheco told the media that Hu also plans to attend an event in the legislature.

Arias visited China last year.

Costa Rica is the only country in Central America that has diplomatic ties with China. Beijing is widely believed to regard Costa Rica as a springboard to establishing relations with other countries in the region, where many nations recognize Taiwan. (dpa)