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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Costa Rica forges new China ties | Costa Rica forges new China ties |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias has announced that his country has broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan after 60 years and formed relations with China. | Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias has announced that his country has broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan after 60 years and formed relations with China. |
| Mr Arias said Costa Rica needed to develop closer ties with China in order to attract foreign investment. | Mr Arias said Costa Rica needed to develop closer ties with China in order to attract foreign investment. |
| Taiwan and China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, and both still compete for diplomatic recognition. | Taiwan and China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, and both still compete for diplomatic recognition. |
| The switch leaves Taiwan with just 24 allies, compared to China's 170. | The switch leaves Taiwan with just 24 allies, compared to China's 170. |
| China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake. It refuses to have diplomatic ties with nations that recognise Taiwan. | China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake. It refuses to have diplomatic ties with nations that recognise Taiwan. |
| Reacting to the Costa Rican move, Taiwan's Foreign Minister James Huang offered his resignation over the issue. | |
| "We will immediately end our ties with Costa Rica and terminate all cooperation programmes," he said. | |
| Mr Huang said he believed Costa Rica to be an isolated case, but added that Taiwan must be careful to maintain its diplomatic links. | |
| "I've asked our embassies to take extreme precautions against any further pressure by the Chinese communists," said Mr Huang. | |
| Following suit | Following suit |
| At a news conference, the Costa Rican president thanked Taiwan for its "solidarity and co-operation" but said he had taken the decision "thinking of all the Costa Ricans". | At a news conference, the Costa Rican president thanked Taiwan for its "solidarity and co-operation" but said he had taken the decision "thinking of all the Costa Ricans". |
| "We are looking to strengthen the commercial ties and attract investment. China is the most successful emerging economy in the world," said President Arias. | |
| Analysts say Taiwan is fearful that Costa Rica's shift in allegiance to Beijing could prompt other Latin American nations such as Nicaragua and Panama to follow. | Analysts say Taiwan is fearful that Costa Rica's shift in allegiance to Beijing could prompt other Latin American nations such as Nicaragua and Panama to follow. |