Costa Rica’s presidential office has confirmed that five intelligence officials were sent to Taiwan last month for intelligence training, a Costa Rican newspaper reported yesterday.
It was the first official intelligence exchange since the Central American country severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2007.
Five Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) officials were in Taiwan from May 8 to 31 to attend a basic intelligence course, the Spanish-language La Nacion reported, adding that their expenses were covered by Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
As DIS does not have its own training budget, it was important to seize the opportunity, the Costa Rican presidential office was quoted as saying.
The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) also sent two personnel to Taiwan to attract investment, with a focus on semiconductor cooperation, Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade Manuel Tovar said.
China has protested Costa Rica’s decision to send officials to Taiwan, with the Chinese embassy in Costa Rica saying that the move contravenes its so-called “one China” principle.
It said it opposed any official exchanges between Taiwan and Costa Rica.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves did not respond to China’s protest during a news conference yesterday, but did criticize Huawei for trying to influence members of the Costa Rican legislature.
Those legislators with close ties to China and Huawei are “lobbyists for foreign interests,” Chaves said.
Costa Rica in 2023 banned Huawei from participating in its 5G telecom network buildout. Huawei filed a lawsuit in retaliation and the US government revoked the visas of several Costa Rican officials aligned with the company.
Since recognizing China in 2007, promised economic growth in Costa Rica from free trade agreements and foreign direct investments have failed to materialize, the CentroAmerica360 news outlet reported.
Costa Rica’s trade deficit has grown and Chinese investment is marginal, it said.
Since taking office in 2022, Chaves has moved to align Costa Rica with US policy on China and build ties with Taiwan, the outlet said.
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Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
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