Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Japanese political circles were pleased to see the party back on its feet, at the conclusion of her four-day visit to Japan.
Speaking with reporters at Taoyuan Airport, Tsai said Japanese politicians were paying great attention to Taiwanese politics and were happy to see the DPP bounce back.
The revival of the DPP is viewed by Japanese as an indication of Taiwan’s democracy, she said.
Tsai said Japan was very concerned about security in the Taiwan Strait, adding that she was able to exchange views on the China issue with several prominent figures.
During the trip, Tsai met several former Japanese prime ministers and key players from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Tsai was quoted as saying that the selection of Japan as her first and only foreign destination after the Dec. 5 local elections highlighted the high respect the DPP has for Taiwans’ neighbor to the north.
Meanwhile, outgoing Japanese representative to Taiwan Masaki Saito last night hosted his last event before heading home following his resignation two weeks ago.
The seasoned diplomat was listed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) as “persona non grata” after he said Taiwan’s status remained “undetermined” at an academic function in May.
The Japanese Interchange Association said Saito was quitting for “personal reasons,” but it has been widely rumored that the Taiwanese and Japanese governments were happy to see him go because he had become a defunct diplomat after his controversial remarks.
At the reception, Saito said in Mandarin that this past year marked many important milestones in Taiwan-Japan ties, such as the agreement on the youth working holiday program and the signing of air pact that will allow direct flights from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Taipei Songshan Airport starting in October.
Foreign Minister Timothy Yang (楊進添) touted the relationship and promised to strengthen ties for the mutual benefit of both people.
Saito will end his 17-month stint on Sunday.
He will be succeeded by Tadashi Imai, Japan’s former ambassador to Malaysia and Israel.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
RSS