President Chen Shui-bian met with a Japanese delegation who are members of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Union (APPU) and expressed his heartfelt welcome and gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
Chen not only expressed his welcome and gratitude to the delegation, but also thanked councilor Katsutsugu Sekiya for his long-term contribution to Japan-Taiwan relations. The president pointed out that Sekiya has served as Japan's construction minister and posts and telecommunications minister. He is vice chairperson of Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, and he has also been leader of the APPU for many years. For the past 30 years, he has served eight terms in the House of Representatives and two in the House of Councilors.
Chen mentioned particularly about Sekiya's late father, who was a member of the House of the Councilors advocating strong ties with Taiwan by opposing establishing ties between Japan and China and breaking ties with Taiwan. Chen then offered his most sincere thanks for this very deep expression of friendship.
Chen said that in 1965 APPU was established under former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi. He said that the ROC is honored to be one of its founding members and most willing to fulfill the duties and responsibilities as a member of the APPU. Were Thailand not ready to host the 2006 Congress, Taiwan will be glad to play host and hold the meeting at an early date.
Chen said that Taiwan shares with Japan the best "value alliance" and "military alliance", particularly in facing China's military buildup, which he said is a threat to the peace and stability of the Asia Pacific region and is without a doubt a negative sign for countries in the Asia Pacific region, including the United States and Japan. The security across the Taiwan Strait, which Japan and the U.S. agreed is a common interest of the U.S., Japan and Taiwan, was officially listed as an issue for discussion at the security meeting between Japan and the United States. Despite the fact that Taiwan and Japan have no official ties, Chen said, he believes that the relationship between the two nations can advance another step through quasi-military alliances.