President Chen Shui-bian February 10 met with the Honorable Seiichiro Murakami, a member of Japan's House of Representatives, expressing his deepest appreciation to Japan's long-term support to Taiwan.
This was Representative Seiichiro Murakami's second visit to the Office of the President. "We first met in late 2004, soon after which he was appointed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as a minister in the cabinet," recollected the president.
The president said at the meeting that he was extremely grateful to Japanese parliamentarians' support in Taiwan-related issues. "Two years ago, Japan voted to support Taiwan's bid to be an observer of the World Health Assembly. Last year, Japan included cross-strait issues into US-Japan Strategic Alliances' concerns," the president said.
"Without full support from the Japanese parliamentarians, any positive treatments toward Taiwan wouldn't have been possible," the president told Representative Seiichiro Murakami, referring to the fact that Japan, in line with the United States of America, has shown its deepest concern about China's passage of the "Anti-Separation Law," and that in late 2005, the Japanese government granted permanent visa-free privileges to Taiwan tourists.
Toward the end of the meeting, the president expressed to the guest his wishes to further facilitate cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. "I hope that each of the two countries will recognize international drivers' license of the counterpart citizens, and, according to the Kyoto Protocol, the two countries' cooperation and exchange in environmental protection will be strengthened," said the president.