TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Costa Rica reportedly has sent officials to Taiwan for intelligence and security training for the first time since severing diplomatic ties in 2007.
According to a report by La Nacion, five intelligence officials traveled to Taiwan in May for a 23-day national security and intelligence training course, per CNA. The move drew criticism from China, with its embassy claiming on June 14 that the exchange violated the "one China" principle, and it opposed any official interaction between Costa Rica and Taiwan.
San Jose has not responded to China’s protest, and local media have described the intelligence training as testing China's red line. Whether Beijing will retaliate or Costa Rica will maintain its stance on engaging with Taiwan is being closely watched.
Costa Rica and China have clashed repeatedly in recent years over telecom and cybersecurity issues. In August 2023, San Jose issued an executive order banning companies from countries that have not signed the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, including China, from participating in its 5G infrastructure projects.
This sparked strong objections from China, and telecom giant Huawei filed a legal complaint, alleging the order harmed its business interests and violated international agreements. The company demanded that the order be revoked.
In February, a Costa Rican court dismissed Huawei’s lawsuit, ruling that public interest outweighed corporate profits. The court emphasized the government’s responsibility to protect user privacy and national security, effectively affirming the exclusion of Huawei and other Chinese telecom firms from Costa Rica’s networks.
In December, Costa Rican prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Huawei over alleged bribery and fraud in obtaining 5G contracts. President Rodrigo Chaves condemned Huawei: "This is possibly one of the most blatant and largest corruption scandals we have seen in this country," per El Observador.
He added that the government had filed criminal charges against Huawei, its general manager in Costa Rica, and several local officials implicated in the corruption case. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised San Jose during a February visit for its firm stance on keeping Huawei out of its 5G networks, calling the country “a model for the region and for the world.”
Amid growing concern over China’s push to expand its influence in Central America through Huawei investments in 5G infrastructure, Washington has intensified its cooperation with regional allies to counter the threat. This effort began under former President Biden and has accelerated under President Trump.
Neighboring Panama recently announced it would partner with the US to dismantle 13 Huawei-built telecom towers across the country, replacing them with American technology to reduce cybersecurity risks and push back against what the US embassy in Panama said is "the malign influence of China throughout our hemisphere."
