The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called on the Japanese government and Japanese politicians to face up to the facts of history and to learn lessons from the past rather than engage in acts that hurt the feelings of the people of neighboring countries.
In response to a visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs Yoshitaka Shindo and Japan’s National Public Safety Commission Chairman Keiji Furuya yesterday, the anniversary of Japan’s World War II defeat, the ministry in Taipei issued a very short statement of just one paragraph.
“The government of the Republic of China hopes that the Japanese government and its politicians will develop friendly relations with neighboring countries, with visionary thinking and a responsible attitude,” the ministry said in the statement.
Photo: Pichi Chuang, Reuters
Separately yesterday, several dozens of people set a model paper Izumo-class ship on fire in protest against Japan’s claim to sovereignty over the contested Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), known as the Senkakus in Japan, outside the building of the Interchange Association, Japan, in Taipei.
Last week, Japan launched its largest military ship since World War II, the 19,500-tonne Izumo, at a ceremony in Yokohama.
The destroyer, which will be helicopter-equipped, will be deployed by the Maritime Self-Defense Force in March 2015.
Chang Chun-hong (張俊宏), a former lawmaker of the Democratic Progressive Party who now leads an alliance calling on Japan to return the Diaoyutai Islands to Taiwan, said it would be “a declaration of war against China” when Japan launches the destroyer for a maiden run and “the Diaoyutai Islands would become the battlefield.”
The destroyer symbolizes Japanese imperialism and is a provocative act that threatens peace and stability in East Asia, Chang said.
“Only when Japan returns the Diaoyutai Islands to Taiwan can peace be sustained,” he said.
Chang filed a lawsuit for conversion and tort against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the issue of the Diaoyutai Islands in the Yilan District Court in June, seeking NT$2 million (US$66,749) in compensation.
Yilan District Court on Wednesday decided to dismiss the case, while Chang said yesterday that he did not rule out the possibility of suing Abe in Japan over the matter.
A former DPP lawmaker Payen Talu, an Aborigine of Atayal tribe, said that the Diaoyutai Islands were traditional territory of Kuvalan tribe, urging Japan to give back the islands to Taiwan’s indigenous people who occupied the land long before the islands were discovered by China and Japan.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
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STRICTER ENFORCEMENT: Taipei authorities warned against drunk cycling after a sharp rise in riding under the influence, urging greater public awareness of its illegality Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles. Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed. Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed. Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other
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