Panama's Chinese community has made tremendous contributions to the development of the country for more than 150 years, local Chinese community leader said on Monday, the Chinese Ethnic Group Day.

"In recognition of these contributions, the Panamanian government in 2004 set every year's March 30 as the Chinese Ethnic Group Day," Sergio Lay, vice president of the Chinese Association of Panama, told Xinhua.

Chinese in Panama are outstanding in politics, culture, and sports, among many other fields, Lay said.

Former Panama's controller and immigration director Jose Chen Barria; painter Manuel Chong Net; poet and literary critic Cesar Young; singer Brenda Lao are outstanding representatives of Chinese Panamanians.

"We hope young Chinese Panamanians will carry on the fine traditions of hard working, and honesty that we have taught them," Lay said.

Panama's Chinese community, with a population of roughly 200,000, is the largest one in Central America.

According to historical records, the first group of Chinese laborers arrived in the country on March 30, 1854 by way of Canada and Jamaica to work on the Panama Railroad, which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across Panama.

Source: Xinhua