Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla has highlighted the importance of the upcoming state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying bilateral cooperation is strengthening and will benefit both peoples.

"The visit can further strengthen cooperative relations in economy and trade, and in investment for the benefit of both peoples," Chinchilla said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua ahead of Xi's visit.

Xi was coming to Costa Rica as part of his first visit to Latin America since becoming president in March, signalling the great importance China attached to the bilateral relationship, the Costa Rican president said.

During Xi's visit, the two countries would conclude a series of cooperation agreements, including building a joint oil refinery on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, and Chinese funding for the expansion of a highway between San Jose and Limon (200 km east of the capital), among others, Chinchilla said.

She said the two sides would also strengthen cooperation in the fields of education and clean energy.

The president said the two sides agreed during her visit to China last August that the Seventh China-Latin America Business Summit would be held in Costa Rica in November.

Chinchilla said the relationship between China and Costa Rica was young but had been very fruitful.

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations six years ago, two Costa Rican presidents had visited China and Xi would be the second Chinese president to visit Costa Rica, which indicated the willingness of the two countries' top leaders to strengthen the friendship, she said.

Xi will arrive here Sunday after visiting Trinidad and Tobago. He will then head to Mexico. The Chinese leader will also hold a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in California on June 7-8.