China once again has a first rank diplomatic representation in Costa Rica. Months ago the departure of the previous ambassador took place and this past Thursday the arrival of his replacement was announced.
It is noteworthy that for the first time it will be a woman who will lead the representation of Beijing in San Jose.She is Wang Xiaoyao, ambassador-designate who arrived in the afternoon at the Juan Santamaría Airport.There she was received by Ambassador Ana Lorena Villalobos, Deputy Director of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A warm welcome
“Ambassador Wang thanked for the warm welcome, and expressed her willingness to dialogue with different sectors of the country to explore more areas of cooperation, intensify exchange and cooperation, and raise the China-Costa Rica Strategic Partnership to a new height,” said the Chinese diplomatic legation.
Subsequently, the respective protocol rules will follow. First, a copy of the appointment is delivered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then the presentation of credentials to the Presidency of the Republic, the most solemn ceremony of diplomacy where the representatives are formally accredited.
Tense moments with China
In August 2007, then President Oscar Arias took the key step of breaking with Taiwan to recognize the People’s Republic of China. This was a pioneering action in Central America that most countries have followed (to date only Guatemala and Belize have not established relations with Beijing).
Initially Wang Xiaoyuan was appointed as ambassador (2007-2009); followed by Li Changhua (2010-2012), Song Yanbin (2013-2017) and since then the position was held by Tang Heng.
The departure of the last representative was confirmed in March, claiming that it was a normal rotation.It should be noted, however, that in recent years relations between China and Costa Rica have had some ups and downs, mainly due to technological issues. Chinese companies, especially Huawei, have complained about the country’s path to adopt 5G telecommunications, with criteria that in their view exclude them directly.Beijing has also rejected warnings made by U.S. delegates during visits to San Jose.
