Nicaraguan leader apologizes for snubbing Taiwan

Ma Ying-jeou was making his first state visit to Nicaragua since he took office 13 months ago. The Latin American country is one of 23 that officially recognizes Taipei, as opposed to Beijing.

But President Daniel Ortega didn't show up at the airport when Ma arrived for his two-day visit Friday. He later failed to host a banquet for Ma, sending his deputy instead.

After Taiwan threatened to recall its envoy, Ortega finally met Ma briefly at his office later Friday, according to Taiwan's state-funded Central News Agency. Ortega apologized and later personally drove Ma to inspect a bilateral farm project, the report said.

Television footage showed Ma waiting patiently as Ortega spoke on his cell phone while sitting at the driver's seat of his Mercedes jeep.

"He spoke on the phone for 50 minutes while also busy greeting the public," Ma told Taiwanese reporters with a polite smile.

The apparent cold shoulder made headlines in Taiwanese media on Sunday. Newspapers said Ortega was indicating his anger at Taiwan for ceasing generous financial assistance to the Latin American country as Nicaragua's ties with rival China improve.

Ortega's aides have said the Nicaraguan leader was busy dealing with the coup in neighboring Honduras and the funeral of the Managua mayor Alexis Arguello, who committed suicide last week.

For decades, Taiwan and China had tried to lure away each other's allies with grants or aid. The diplomatic war has eased as Ma has moved to improve ties with China. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949, but China still claims the island as part of its territory.

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