Costa Rica switches alliance from Taiwan to China

BEIJING, June 7 (Reuters) Costa Rica has switched its alliance from Taiwan to China and established full diplomatic relations with Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.

The switch is a blow to Taiwan, which China is working to isolate diplomatically to force its agenda of reunification. It leaves Taiwan with 24 allies, mostly small and poor nations, compared with more than 170 countries that recognise Beijing.

''China and Costa Rica today announced that the two countries signed a joint communique on establishment of diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level as of June 1,'' Xinhua said in a brief report.

It added that Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Costa Rican counterpart had signed the agreement in Beijing on June 1.

China and Taiwan have faced off since defeated Nationalist forces fled to the island at the end of a civil war in 1949.

Beijing leaders have maintained that self-ruled, democratic Taiwan is part of its territory rather than a separate country.

Costa Rica and China have had contacts that began with a United Nations encounter in September, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman David Wang said yesterday.

REUTERS JK BST0558