China gave Costa Rica US$400 million in loans on Monday during President Xi Jinping’s first visit to the country as China’s leader, Reuters reported. Although Costa Rica’s foreign minister said the loans from China Export-Import Bank had “no strings attached,” they came on the sixth anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between the countries. Costa Rica had been one of Taiwan’s few allies before that time. Taiwan and China have long vied for influence in the region. During Xi’s tour of the Caribbean and Central America, he has promised more than US$3 billion to 10 countries, Bloomberg reported.