President Chen Shui-bian met with a total of 107 delegates of the Youth Division of the Liberal Democratic Party on August 24 at the Office of the President. He said to his guests that Taiwan can learn from the Japanese government regarding those impasses Taiwan is currently facing.
These issues are, particularly, divisions over national identity, vicious competition between political parties, problems related to transitional justice, and the choice of constitutional system, said the president, emphasizing that these difficulties should be solved and dealt with "in accordance with the rule of law."
"Like Japan and most democratic countries in the world, Taiwan, a country that just underwent a transition from authoritarian rule to democracy in its transfer of power in 2000, shared such universal values as democracy, freedom, human rights, and peace," he said, citing an international report as saying that Taiwan and Japan are both ranked first in Asia concerning their respect to and protection of the freedom of the press.
The president also said to his guests that he thanked the Japanese government for its support for Taiwan, which includes voting two years ago, together with the United States, in favor of Taiwan's bid to participate as an observer in the World Health Assembly (WHA), enlisting the Taiwan Strait as the strategic objective of the US-Japan Security Consultative Meeting, and cooperating with Taiwan in tourism and trade.
The delegation was headed by Tanimoto Tatsuya, a member of Japanese House of Representatives, and its 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.