June 08, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1428

BEIJING: China’s growing global clout will inevitably secure the Asian giant more diplomatic victories over Taiwan, analysts said on Thursday, after Costa Rica ditched Taipei in favour of Beijing.

Even though Taiwan had lavished the Central American nation with hundreds of millions of dollars to keep their 63-year-old relationship safe, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias made it clear the future lay with China.

“As president of a country of 4.2 million inhabitants, it is my obligation to recognise a country like China,” Arias said on Wednesday as he announced the switching of allegiances.

“I expect that this decision will bring prosperity and development to the people of Costa Rica.” Liu Bi-rung, a political science professor at Taiwan’s Soochow University, said Costa Rica’s decision was not a surprise, but it had come earlier than expected, partly because of China’s fast-rising diplomatic might.

“China’s growing economic clout and its growing international influence allows Beijing more leverage to squeeze Taipei internationally,” Liu said.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a civil war. China’s communist rulers insist they will bring Taiwan back under its rule, by force if necessary.

While China has not yet been able to bring about reunification, it has steadily eroded Taiwan’s position in the international community.

With the addition of Costa Rica, China has lured eight nations into its diplomatic fold since 2000, leaving Taiwan with just 24 countries which recognise it as a legitimate state.

China’s recent victories over Taiwan have come in tandem with its spectacular economic growth, which has helped give it greater sway around the world.

Zhang Wensheng, a professor in the Taiwan Studies Center at Xiamen University in China, said Costa Rica’s defection was especially significant because it was one of Taiwan’s oldest allies.

“Since Costa Rica had a solid relationship of more than 60 years with Taiwan, this break-off will affect the other 24 nations,” Zhang said.

“A domino effect is possible but not immediately, because Taiwan uses chequebook diplomacy. But in the long term, a break-off with Taiwan is a trend (that will continue).” One opposition lawmaker in Taiwan said on Thursday that Taipei could see its list of allies dwindle to 20 within a year.

“We must be on our guard as the Costa Rican move might trigger a domino effect. We should not underestimate the grave diplomatic situation Taiwan is in,” said John Chiang of the nationalist Kuomintang party.

Reflecting the Chinese government’s line, Xu Bodong, director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, described Costa Rica’s move as a “breakthrough” and part of an “inexorable trend”.

“Any far-sighted leader will not give up the chance to get more benefits from China, compared with the petty profits from Taiwan,” Xu said.—AFP