Costa Rica breaks relations with Taiwan

[oberliner]

Source: Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - President Oscar Arias announced Wednesday that Costa Rica has broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, delivering a blow to the Asian island's fragile international standing.

Arias said Costa Rica needed to strengthen ties with China to attract foreign investment.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister James Huang quickly offered to resign to take responsibility for Costa Rica's switch, which left the Taiwan with relations with just two dozen nations.

Since splitting amid civil war in 1949, Taiwan and China have fought to win the diplomatic allegiance of countries around the world. China refuses to have diplomatic ties with nations that recognize Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province it plans to eventually unify with the mainland.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070607/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/costa_rica_taiwan_china;_ylt=At4DAbc.cwsP1WySk50IY15vaA8F

[arcos]

1. Taiwan embassies in Latin America are on alert...

Some people are expecting a domino effect that could leave Taiwan with even fewer allies.

[ckramer]

2. What took them so long?

Get on with the program!