He said that Taiwan, a new democratic country, is being encountered with severe difficulties that have been complicated by its people's disagreement over national identity and the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Concerning the Taiwan-Japan relations, the president said now is "the best moment over the past 30 years," adding that the forthcoming visit of Taiwan's former President Lee Teng-hui to Japan will signify a remarkable breakthrough in Taiwan-Japan diplomacy.
In the meeting, the president thanked his guests for their efforts in promoting the bilateral trade between Taiwan and Japan, which in 2005 exceeded US$60 billion with Japan enjoying a trade surplus of US$30 billion.
He also thanked the government of Japan for granting permanent visa-free privileges to Taiwan passport holders and for enlisting the Taiwan Strait into the strategic objectives of the US-Japan Security Consultative Meeting.
The delegation of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council included Kamei Hisaoki, Sakamoto Goji, Maki Yoshio, Oe Yasuhiro, Shiba Hirokazu, Matsushita Shinpei, Uno Osamu, Kameoka Yoshitami, and Fukuda Yoshihiko, whose visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Taiwan's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chang Siao-yue. Deputy Secretary-General to the President Liu Shyh-fang was also present in the meeting.