Li Qiang, secretary of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with Juan Carlos Varela, president of Republic of Panama on Wednesday.

Li welcomed his guests and he said a new era has been ushered in by President Xi Jinping, who pointed out the direction for Sino-Panama diplomatic relationship during his talk with Varela.

Shanghai is working hard to build itself into an international center of finance, economy, trade, and shipping, Li added. Shanghai is working with Panama in shipping and ports’ construction. Shanghai is willing to extend the cooperation into free trade zones, trade, education, and tourism.