President Chen Shui-bian met with a delegation of Japanese House of Representatives on May 2. The president talked with his guests about current Taiwan-Japan relations and called for more Japanese support to Taiwan's 2006 bid to participate in the World Health Assembly.
The president first thanked his guests for supporting Taiwan-related bills in their House of Representatives, including granting Taiwan's tourists to Japan visa-free privileges, voting in favor of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization, and strengthening the Taiwan-Japan trade relations.
Since many Asian and European countries, except Japan, already recognize the international driver's license issued by Taiwan's government, through his guests the president therefore asked the Japanese government for the recognition of Taiwan's international driver's license.
While appreciating Japan and the United States for targeting the Taiwan Strait as one of the common strategic objectives of their consultative security committee, the president hoped that the Japanese government would continue to focus its concern on the cross-strait security issue in the forthcoming Taiwan-Japan Talks.
This Japanese delegation included Representatives Tomita Shigeyuki, Ishii Keiichi, and Takagi Michiyo. Presidential Secretary-General Mark Chen and Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister Chang Siao-yueh were also present in the meeting.