President Oscar Arias announced yesterday afternoon that Costa Rica has established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) – a move that automatically breaks off its relations with the Republic of China ( Taiwan ), which the PRC regards as illegitimate, and ends almost six decades of cooperation between Costa Rica and Taiwan.
He said he made the decision not because of ideological reasons, but rather out of “fundamental realism.”
“The reasons are very obvious,” he said, adding that relations with mainland China will “bring greater well being and development for Costa Rica, which cannot remain static (in) a changing world.”
According to Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno -- who officially normalized relations with China June 1 during a meeting with officials in Beijing and informed the Taiwanese Embassy in San José during a meeting shortly before yesterday's press conference -- Taiwan and Costa Rica will now begin the process of closing their respective embassies.
Stagno said plans with China include a possible free-trade agreement between the countries and a ministerial council to begin a bi-national dialogue. Arias said he hopes for significant Chinese investment here.
The President said he will personally take charge of securing new funding for pending projects to be funded by Taiwan, such as a highway from San José to the Northern Zone city of Ciudad Quesada.
Arias has expressed interest in increased trade with China since before taking office last year, but has consistently denied rumors that he would break off relations with Taiwan – right up until yesterday morning, when he told wire service ACAN-EFE that talk of a pending break was “just speculation.”
Costa Rica was one of Taiwan's only 25 diplomatic allies. |
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