The 40th annual conference of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU) is scheduled to take place from Aug. 10 to Aug. 12 in Taipei, marking the first time that Taiwan will host an APPU event, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday.
The APPU, which is comprised of 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is the only international parliamentary organization in which Taiwan has membership.
Other members of the organization include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mongolia, Laos and the Solomon Islands.
According to Wang, the upcoming meeting will focus on the theme of human security and is expected to draw nearly 100 parliamentarians from the member states.
Wang said seeking membership in international parliamentary organizations is one of the ways the Legislative Yuan can help develop the country’s foreign relations.
The opportunity to host the international conference will also allow Taiwan’s legislators to strengthen their friendships and increase exchanges with their foreign counterparts, Wang said. The participation of Taiwan’s legislators in international events will help to expand Taiwan’s presence in the international arena, giving the country an opening to free itself from the diplomatic isolation imposed by China, Wang said.
“Parliamentary diplomacy is a path that can lead Taiwan back to the international community,” Wang said.
At present, more than 50 countries have set up Taiwan friendship groups within their parliaments, while there are 34 inter-parliamentary groups in the Legislative Yuan to promote friendship with their foreign counterparts, he said. One of these groups, the Taiwan-USA Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, is likely to visit the US in early September.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), who heads the associsation, said the visit, if realized, would focus on lobbying for Taiwan’s procurement of F-16 C/D fighters from the US. Lin said a visit to the US by Taiwanese legislators last July played a crucial part in prompting the administration of former US president George W. Bush to approve six arms sales to Taiwan in October that year.
During the visit, legislators discussed the arms issue with officials from the US Department of State and the Department of Defense, as well as with leaders of the armed services committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The discussions helped the US to resolve any doubts about Taiwan’s determination to acquire the weapon systems, Lin said.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan-Japan Exchange Association is planning to visit Japan after the conclusion of Japan’s parliamentary elections in September.
KMT Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞), who heads the group, said the association meets every year with the Japan-Republic of China Dietmen’s Council to discuss issues of bilateral concern.
He said that Japanese parliamentarians have contributed greatly to the adoption of reciprocal measures by the two sides in recent years, including the mutual visa waiver program and mutual recognition of driver’s licenses.
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