Costa Rica's Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Edgar Ugalde on Thursday bid farewell to the first batch of 15 Costa Rican students who are soon to begin their study tour in China under the auspices of the Chinese government.

Ugalde asked the young students to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the Chinese culture and hoped that they would study hard and improve themselves, bearing in mind the responsibility they have for their country.

The 15 students have received scholarships from China to study at China's best universities in Beijing and Shanghai at all levels, including postgraduate, and are to leave for China on Sept. 5.

After the two countries established diplomatic ties on June 1 this year, China announced that it will offer 20 scholarships to Costa Rican students each year.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias will pay his first official visit to China in October, said Ugalde.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)