BEIJING - China signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Costa Rica on Thursday aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

Costa Rica is the seventh nation and region with which China has signed an FTA, and is the first Latin American nation to sign a package of agreements including commodities, services and investment with China.

"We will step up efforts to start talks with other countries and hope to clinch more FTA deals this year," said Chen Deming, minister of commerce.