Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian received Japanese House Representative Shyoichi Nakagawa at the Presidential Office Thursday.
Chen extended a warm welcome to the Japanese parliamentarians and stressed that although the Republic of China maintains no diplomatic relations with Japan, unofficial relations are very cordial.
He also expressed his gratitude to Nakagawa and his father for their staunch support for the ROC over the years.
Chen noted that both Taiwan and Japan have enjoyed brisk economic development stemming from the mutual concern and gratitude existing between the people of the two countries.
The ROC head of state pointed out that democracy, freedom, human rights and justice are a universal value which is a common language between the ROC and Japan. He expressed the hope that Taiwan and Japan will further strengthen economic and trade relations as well as cultural ties based on this foundation.
Nakagawa for his part described ROC-Japan relations as "the largest alliance without writing a treaty." After both Taiwan and Japan experienced devastating earthquakes, mutual assistance consolidated substantive relations between the two countries, he noted.