Costa Rican Minister of Culture Manuel Obregon said he would seek closer cultural exchange with China during his official visit to the Asian country that started on Sunday.

"The first activity in my agenda is to meet with Chinese Culture Minister Cai Wu to discuss cultural agreements already valid and to talk about some new agreements," he told Xinhua before his visit to China where he will attend the closing ceremony of Shanghai Expo.

During his trip, he will seek more cooperation projects with the Chinese authorities, Obregon said.

He added he would ask China to provide more musical instruments to help Costa Rica's National System of Musical Education.

Costa Rica needs more and better musical instruments, and China produces high-quality instruments and can offer help, he said.

Both sides will also discuss the construction of a new national auditorium in San Jose, he said.

"We are planning to build a kind of amphitheater, which can accommodate about 10,000 people and will be very important for the cultural sector," he added.

As a well-known pianist in Costa Rica and Central America, Obregon will give a performance in China's National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing.

"I am going to play a concert called 'Simbiosis (Symbiosis).' This is one of the most important theaters in the world, so I feel proud of having an opportunity to perform in it," he said.

Obregon said he was very glad to be able to combine his agenda as a minister with his activities as an artist.

Obregon will also give a concert at the Shanghai Expo on Costa Rica's National Pavilion Day.

"I have had the chance to be in other Expos, such as the ones in Barcelona and Saragossa, and I think this one (Shanghai) surpasses them all in size, technology and contents. So it is an honor for me to be a part of the closing ceremony," he said.

Obregon said his visit to China was very important, and will help Costa Rica learn more about China.

(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2010)