President Ma Ying-jeou, accompanied by Vice President Vincent C. Siew, at noon on October 10 held a luncheon at the Presidential Office for delegations from the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council and Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, both of which sent representatives to Taiwan to participate in the ROC's centenary celebrations. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome and gratitude to the visitors for making the special trip to Taiwan to offer their congratulations.
President Ma remarked that Japan's parliamentarians are currently extremely busy at home with reconstruction-related efforts and legislation in the wake of March's multiple disaster. Former Prime Minister Taro Aso and Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council Chairman Takeo Hiranuma have led a number of parliamentarians to Taiwan on this visit, which the president said highlights the deep friendship and bonds between the two sides. The president added that he is deeply moved by this act of friendship.
The president stated that the number of people having lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake in March of this year far surpassed the total number of Taiwanese that died in the September 21, 1999 earthquake and the August 2009 mudslides and flooding in southern and eastern Taiwan caused by Typhoon Morakot. The people of Taiwan, the president said, were shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the March disasters and in response actively donated funds and material goods to assist those in need. In all, Taiwan's donations to its friends in Japan amounted to NT$6.6 billion, he pointed out.
President Ma believes that while the ROC and Japan do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, the two nations still maintain close ties. Besides being Taiwan's second largest trading partner, Japan is the bigger source of investment here than any other nation in Taiwan, he said. Combined with the long historical and cultural relationship between the two sides, the substantive bilateral relationship far exceeds the meaning associated with formal diplomatic ties, he remarked.
In addressing the progress in the relationship between Taiwan and Japan in recent years, President Ma said that since taking office in May 2008 he designated the relationship between the two as a "special partnership." During his term so far, the ROC has signed a working holiday agreement with Japan and Taiwan has also established a representative office in Sapporo. In addition, direct flights between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport commenced. Meanwhile, ROC citizens residing in Japan are now allowed to list "Taiwan" as their homeland on their alien residence cards. All of these developments point to increasingly friendly ties between the two countries, the president said. President Ma also noted that this year Taiwan completed the Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park in Tainan City and that both Tainan and Japan have responded positively to this initiative. This furthermore serves as a symbol of friendship between the peoples of the two countries during that period in history, he said.
President Ma also stated that several months ago the Japanese parliament passed legislation that prevents the impounding of artwork from overseas on display in Japan. This removed a legal barrier to the exhibition of items from the ROC's National Palace Museum, he said, adding that the government in the future will work quickly to make it possible for the museum to hold an exhibition in Japan in 2013.
President Ma pointed to a survey carried out this May by Taiwan's representative office in Japan inquiring about the perception of the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Some 67% of the Japanese surveyed expressed a feeling of closeness with Taiwan and 84% feel Taiwan can be trusted. In addition, 91% believe relations between the two countries are quite good, which the president said indicates the deep relationship between the two sides. President Ma stressed that he is both a friend to Japan and has an understanding of Japan. He expressed his hopes that relations between Taiwan and Japan will continue to move forward based on the existing foundation.