Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (
Meetings are due to start in Belize on Friday, the foreign ministry said, adding that topics for discussion include crime, energy and trade.
However, the yearly meeting, which takes place alternately in Taiwan and Central America, was overshadowed by another setback for Taipei in its bid for membership of the WHO last week.
Out of Taiwan's 25 allies, just 17 rallied behind Taipei while Panama and Nicaragua were absent during the voting. Costa Rica voted against the bid.
The foreign ministry last week filed a protest to Costa Rica and summoned the Costa Rican ambassador to Taipei, the Chinese-language China Times reported.
"Whether Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Stagno attends the meeting would become the index" measuring the state of bilateral ties, it said.
The foreign ministry was especially concerned about the so-called "domino effect," triggering an exodus of diplomatic allies, if Costa Rica were to switch its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, it said.
Thirteen Central American countries recognize Taiwan.
Foreign ministry spokesman David Wang (
But in a telephone interview, Wang admitted that "what Costa Rica did was unexpected."
China shot down Taipei's bid to join the WHO on the grounds that, not being a country, Taiwan must not be allowed to join the international organization.
Latin America, the South Pacific and Africa are the main diplomatic battlegrounds for Taiwan and China.
Taiwan and China have accused each other in the past of using "checkbook diplomacy" to lure the other's allies.
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