Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe called for closer Japan-Taiwan ties by overcoming diplomatic and professional barriers in his first videoconference with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday night.
Tsai said there are many opportunities for the two nations to collaborate, as Taiwan strives for common goals with like-minded countries such as Japan and the US.
The two also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office via CNA
The Presidential Office said the bilateral talk last nearly 30 minutes and was part of an annual meeting of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, a cross-party Japanese parliamentary group comprising about 270 members.
At the beginning of their discussion, a full video of which was released by the Presidential Office yesterday, Tsai said she was delighted to meet with Abe virtually as they used to only talk by telephone.
The president thanked Japan for donating vaccines to Taiwan last year during a local outbreak of COVID-19.
Abe thanked Taiwan for its help after a massive earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, and for donating medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tsai said that Taiwan had followed the lead of other countries in allowing the importation of food products banned following the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, showing its determination to remove trade barriers between the two countries.
Taiwan and Japan should join hands to bolster the economic power of the Indo-Pacific region, as economic growth is crucial to a nation’s stability, she added.
Regarding Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Abe said he hoped that Taiwan would meet its high standards and join the bloc soon.
The CPTPP was established by Japan with 10 other countries when Abe was prime minister and is expanding by adding new members.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Tsai said that Taiwan had imposed sanctions against Russia and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding that Taiwan would stand side-by-side with Ukraine, and uphold the values of democracy and freedom.
Abe said Russia’s invasion was a serious challenge to the international order, adding that Japan should cooperate with other countries in pressuring Moscow into a ceasefire and withdrawal.
Echoing Abe’s comments, Tsai condemned Russia for unilaterally changing the “status quo” and infringing on the rights of a democratic country, which must not be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region.
Tsai also thanked Japan for emphasizing the importance of stability across the Taiwan Strait at international events, saying that she hoped the two sides can maintain peace in the region.
Abe advocated for a free and open Indo-Pacific region, whose “status quo” is protected by international law and not altered by military force.
“It is important for Japan and Taiwan to share intelligence to keep the region stable,” Abe said.
Abe expressed his hope to visit Taiwan soon to exchange ideas with the president, who said she looked forward to greeting him in person.
Additional reporting by CNA
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS