President Chen Shui-bian met with Parliamentarian Kamei Hisaoki, a member of the Lower House of the Japanese Diet, at the Office of the President on March 31, extending his sincerest welcome and deepest gratitude for Japan's long-term support.
Parliamentarian Hisaoki resigned from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and formed the People's New Party due to his disagreement with Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. At the meeting the president praised him as an admirable statesman for the latter's refusing to be an opportunist when the Liberal Democratic Party won the election last September.
Japan has long supported Taiwan from voting in favor of Taiwan's bid to become an observer of the World Health Assembly, to including the Taiwan issues into the common strategic objectives of the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee Meeting, up to granting Taiwan tourists permanent visa-free privileges that even China, one of Japan's diplomatic allies, cannot enjoy. Therefore, on behalf of Taiwan and its people, the president expressed to the guest his sincerest gratitude for Japan's friendship.
On the basis that the two-way trade between the two countries reached more than US$60 billion last year, that Japan enjoyed a trade surplus of over US$30 billion, and that the Taiwanese people paid 1.4 million visits to Japan in 2005, the president therefore kindly asked the guest to urge the Japanese government to sign a free trade agreement with Taiwan and to acknowledge international driver's licenses issued by Taiwan as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the president reassured his guest that "Taiwan is not only Japan's best trade partner, but also the most trustworthy ally in democracy, freedom, human rights, and peace."
"To maintain the cross-strait status quo means to defend nothing but Taiwan's democracy, liberty, and human right conditions," said the president, and concluded that "The Chinese military expansion and deployment of missiles against Taiwan have endangered the status quo." Hence, the president believed that China's military threat would also affect Japan and the United Sates.
Kamei Hisaoki is also the deputy chief of a Taiwan-friendly caucus in the Lower House. His visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Lo Fu-chen, president of the Association of East Asian Relations. Mark Chen, secretary-general of the Office of the President, also attended the meeting.