Chinese technology helps construct infrastructure, connect two peoples: Panama's president

DUBAI - Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela said here on Tuesday that Chinese technology will not only enhance infrastructure connectivity in Central America, but also help connect the two peoples.

Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing two-day Global Business Forum on Latin America organized by the Dubai Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the president said: "The new technology we have seen that is developed in China is amazing."

"We see a lot of potential in sharing information and connecting peoples, especially in education and healthcare," he said.

Varela also praised the role of Chinese technology in infrastructure construction.

"We are proposing the construction of a railroad between Panama and other Central American countries, with a 450-km track to our northern neighbor Costa Rica as the first step," he said.

"We hope to get Chinese companies and Chinese technology to complete the entire project between 2022 and 2026. A railway connecting Central America could help to increase the flow of goods arriving from East Asia in Panama City," he said.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the China-designed bridge over the Panama Canal is 80-percent completed.

"The future is not only defined by infrastructure but also by connecting people in order to improve their quality of life," Varela said.