China urges Central America to ditch Taiwan
COSTA RICA: China urged Central American countries on Thursday to
follow Costa Rica’s lead and break with Taiwan, a long-time donor to the
region in search of international recognition as an independent state.
As Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian toured Central America this
week to shore up the island’s dwindling list of allies in the region,
Beijing sent its own mission to Costa Rica, which switched allegiances
in June, and promised San Jose a free-trade deal.
“We certainly hope that other Central American countries follow the
international consensus and recognize China instead of Taiwan, which is
part of China,” said He Yafei, China’s assistant foreign minister,
adding that the Taiwanese president’s visit was “inappropriate.”
Chen attended a regional summit in Honduras on Thursday to consider
funding an oil refinery in Guatemala and a hydroelectric plant in
Honduras and to help solve a power crisis in Nicaragua.
China and Taiwan have faced off since defeated Nationalist forces
fled to the island at the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing considers
Taiwan part of its territory, rather than a country, and seeks to quash
its diplomacy.
Taiwan has 24 diplomatic allies left, compared with China’s 170, and
has vowed to boost aid to Central America, although it says it is not
going to enter into “dollar diplomacy.”
Taipei accuses Beijing of offering countries cash for diplomatic
recognition. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias this weekend defended his
country’s decision to ditch Taiwan. “Not to recognize a country with a
fifth of the world’s population is ridiculous,” he said on Wednesday.
Arias will travel to China in October to follow up on Beijing’s trade
deal pledge. Costa Rican officials are also in talks with their Chinese
counterparts to persuade China to buy part of Costa Rica’s $3.6 billion
debt.
San Jose, Friday, Reuters
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