The All Japan Taiwanese Union yesterday expressed its condolences to Japan after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during an election campaign event in Nara, Japan, on Friday.
Abe won the respect of many international leaders, and Taiwanese regard him as “the most respected and amiable Japanese politician,” the group said in a statement.
Abe showed the world a way forward and was key to international stability, it said, adding that he had urged the world to recognize Taiwan, prompting the US and European countries to begin acknowledging Taiwan’s international importance.
Photo: CNA
Abe will always be with Taiwan and Taiwanese, as he was a real friend, and a reliable and benevolent force backing the nation, it said.
“As Abe has become a thousand winds, Taiwanese will dry their tears, feel the warm breeze and never give up on moving forward,” it added.
The Taiwanese Association of America also expressed its condolences, saying in a statement that Taiwanese living abroad are grateful for the former Japanese leader, who stood up for the nation and the shared the values of freedom, democracy and human rights.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung City Government via CNA
It condemned violence, saying that expressions of grief, regret, anger and sadness are not enough to convey what Taiwanese feel over his death.
Abe always promptly offered substantial and psychological support when Taiwan was in trouble and in need of help, the association said.
US-based Taiwanese would always remember Abe’s statements of encouragement, it said.
It would continue to hold on to Abe’s belief and foster friendships between Taiwan and Japan, as well as between Taiwan and the US, to ensure safety in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, the association said, adding that it would join forces with likeminded entities to boost equality, human rights and world peace.
In Taipei, many people placed flowers and left messages of condolence at a temporary memorial wall that was set up by local supporters outside the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, the country’s de facto embassy.
Messages on the wall, written in Chinese, Japanese and English, expressed sadness over Abe’s death and showed support for the friendship between the two countries.
The association said it would today open a site in its basement for people to place flowers and leave messages in tribute to Abe.
It would be open from midday to 5pm today and from 10am to 5pm from tomorrow to Sunday, the association said.
A book of condolences would only be available for messages from dignitaries invited by the association, it added.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
CROSS-BORDER CRIME: The suspects cannot be charged with cybercrime in Indonesia as their targets were in Malaysia, an Indonesian immigration director said Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese after a raid at a villa on Bali, officials said yesterday. They were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, and are suspected of possible cybercrimes, Safar Muhammad Godam, director of immigration supervision and enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights told reporters at a news conference. “The 103 foreign nationals stayed at the villa and conducted suspicious activities, which we suspect are activities related to cybercrime activities,” he said, presenting laptops and routers at the news conference. Godam said Indonesian authorities cannot charge them with conducting cybercrime. “During the inspection, we