The man expected to become the Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica was scheduled to arrive here last night. Various Chinese businesses and trade organizations took out a full-page advertisement in daily La Nación to welcome Wang Xiaoyuan.

A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told The Tico Times that Wang's appointment as ambassador will become official once the Chinese government approves it.

Wang was previously the ambassador to Uruguay, and has also worked in a diplomatic capacity in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, and Equatorial Guinea. Wang will present his credentials to the Foreign Relations Ministry on Monday.

President Oscar Arias announced last week that Costa Rica had established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and ended a 63-year relationship with Taiwan (TT, June 8).