President Ma Ying-jeou met with Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner Ryozo Kato on the morning of April 21 and conveyed the concern of the people of Taiwan about the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. The president and Commissioner Kato also exchanged opinions on the state of bilateral ties between Taiwan and Japan.
The president praised Commissioner Kato as an outstanding diplomat who has enormous experience in the field of foreign affairs. The president then commented that this year marks the centenary of the ROC, and that World Children's Baseball Foundation Chairman Sadaharu Oh specially paved the way for this year's World Children's Baseball Fair to be held from July 27 to August 4 in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Over 500 players from 20 nations will participate in the event, and the president said he hopes that Commissioner Kato will lend his full support to the activity, helping to foster athletic exchanges between Taiwan and Japan.
President Ma recalled that after Taiwan's earthquake of September 21, 1999 and the heavy flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, the government and people of Japan immediately donated money and materials, and also dispatched a rescue team, for which the people of Taiwan are deeply grateful. Consequently, the Taiwanese people can empathize with the Japanese in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Honshu on March 11. The ROC government immediately donated NT$100 million to Japan, and fundraising activities have been held throughout Taiwan. As of April 20, donations have reached NT$5.1 billion. Meanwhile, over 500 tons of material goods have also been donated. This relief aid shows our concern for the Japanese disaster victims, he said, adding his hope that Japan will soon complete reconstruction. President Ma expressed his admiration for the resoluteness, calm, and mutual assistance displayed by the Japanese people after the disaster, and said these traits have made a deep impression on the people of the world.
Turning to the topic of bilateral relations, President Ma stressed that in the three years since he took office, ties have progressed on many fronts. Over this period, the two sides have signed a youth working holiday agreement, Taiwan has established a representative office in Sapporo, and direct flights have commenced between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. In addition, he said, Japan's parliament—the Diet—recently passed legislation that prevents third parties from taking legal action to impound important foreign cultural artifacts on display in Japan. Consequently, Taiwan's National Palace Museum has begun preparations to hold an exhibition in Japan of items from its collection. The president also said he hopes that Japanese museums will exhibit their treasures in Taiwan, which will foster greater cultural understanding between the two sides.
In addition, the president stated that the Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park, located at the Wushantou Reservoir, Tainan City, will be formally inaugurated on May 8 to commemorate Mr. Hatta's work in designing the Chianan irrigation system back during the Japanese occupation period. President Ma said he will personally attend the ceremony, and many people from Hatta's hometown of Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture have been invited to take part, with the hope of encouraging more people-to-people interaction and strengthening historical and cultural understanding between the two sides.
Commissioner Kato was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Ssu-tsun to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Lee Chia-chin.