More than three-quarters of Japanese feel close to Taiwan, and most consider it the Asian region they are most familiar with, a survey commissioned by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan showed yesterday.
Tokyo-based Central Research Services conducted the annual survey for the office for a third time to learn how Japanese perceive Taiwan.
Asked to choose a region in Asia that they felt most familiar with — Taiwan, China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Philippines, Vietnam or India — 46.2 percent of respondents picked Taiwan.
Photo: AP
Of the respondents, 76.6 percent said they felt “close” or “somewhat close” to Taiwan.
Asked why they felt close to Taiwan, most respondents said it was because Taiwanese are friendly and nice.
Other reasons they gave included Japan and Taiwan having a long history of engagement, strong economic connections and shared cultural elements, as well as a large Japanese-speaking population in Taiwan and mutual assistance during earthquakes or the COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of those who did not feel close to Taiwan attributed it to a lack of knowledge or concern about Taiwan-related affairs.
Sixty-five percent said that Taiwan is “very trustworthy” or “trustworthy,” citing reasons such as Taiwan being friendly to Japan and the two sides’ shared values.
Of the respondents, 72.8, percent said that the relationship between Taiwan and Japan is “good” or “somewhat good,” while only 1.2 percent said it was “bad” or “somewhat bad.”
Of those polled, 59.1 percent said the relationship would continue to develop and 26.6 percent said it would remain the same.
Asked what they thought “the most concerning issue” between Japan and Taiwan was, 44.4 percent said “the impact of the cross-strait situation on Japan.”
To maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, 57 percent of respondents chose diplomacy and dialogue, while 37 percent said cooperation between Taiwan, Japan and the US.
Of the respondents, 63.5 percent said that they were paying “some” or “close” attention to Taiwan’s presidential election next month.
The survey was conducted online from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, with 1,000 responses collected from Japanese citizens aged 20 to 89.
It had a 95 percent confidence level and a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS