President Ma Ying-jeou hosted a luncheon on October 9 at the Presidential Office for a congratulatory delegation from Japan that had come to join in the ROC's Double Tenth National Day Celebration. In addition to extending an enthusiastic welcome to the visitors on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, the president expressed his desire for further enhancement of economic and trade relations between Taiwan and Japan.
In remarks, President Ma stated that since the two nations severed formal diplomatic ties in 1972, the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council has become an important Japanese parliamentary organization that works to support substantive relations between the two sides. The council sends a delegation to Taiwan each October to congratulate the ROC on its national day, the president said, adding that the government and people here appreciate it very much. He noted that this year's delegation consists of 43 individuals, including 34 members of the House of Councillors and House of Representatives. The impressive size of the delegation highlights the importance that the council places on relations between Taiwan and Japan, he said.
President Ma stated that during his five years in office, his administration has designated the relationship between Taiwan and Japan as a "special partnership." Over this period, the two sides have signed a youth working holiday agreement, a memorandum of understanding on strengthening interaction between Taiwan and Japan, and an open skies agreement. At the same time, Taiwan has established a representative office in Sapporo, and the two sides have commenced flights between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The president also noted that on April 10 of this year the two sides inked a fisheries agreement that has resolved a 40-year fisheries dispute. This agreement, he said, has solidified the foundation for peace in the East China Sea, and has been broadly welcomed in both countries and throughout the international community.
President Ma also mentioned that thanks to the assistance of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, the Japanese parliament (Diet) two years ago passed the Law Concerning Promotion of Exhibitions of Art Objects from Overseas, thus enabling Taiwan's National Palace Museum to exhibit objects from its collection in Tokyo and Fukuoka in June and October of next year, respectively. This, the president said, will create a milestone in the relationship between the two countries. In addition, he remarked, Japan's Takarazuka Revue held its first-ever public performance in Taiwan in April of this year. Audiences packed the shows, and the tour was an enormous success, he said. Consultative Council Chairman Takeo Hiranuma personally led a group to Taiwan to watch the performance, the president noted.
As for tourism, President Ma mentioned, last year the number of tourist visits between Taiwan and Japan rose to nearly three million, while the number is expected to surpass 3.5 million this year and 4 million in 2016. The president also reiterated his congratulations to Japan on winning the right to hold the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He expressed confidence that many people from Taiwan will travel to Japan to attend the event, which will further boost bilateral interaction.
Regarding economic and trade issues, President Ma commented, Japan is Taiwan's second largest trading partner, while Taiwan is Japan's fifth largest trading partner, with the volume of bilateral trade exceeding US$60 billion last year. The president noted that Taiwan and New Zealand have signed the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (ANZTEC), and Taiwan and Singapore are on the verge of signing an economic partnership agreement. This is thus an opportune time for Taiwan and Japan to further enhance their mutual economic and trade relationship, he said. In particular, the president stated, both Japan and Taiwan desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and at a time when both nations are participating in multilateral economic integration, they should think about how to further strengthen their bilateral economic and trade ties. Therefore, he urged the visitors to continue working to promote trade and economic ties between Taiwan and Japan.
The delegation included House of Representatives members Takao Fujii, Nariaki Nakayama, and Naoto Sakaguchi, and House of Councillors member Aiko Shimajiri. The group was led by Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council Chairman Takeo Hiranuma. The delegation was accompanied by Japan's Interchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Sumio Tarui to the Presidential Office to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were Association of East Asian Relations Chairman Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進), National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Jacob Chang (張大同), and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ting Joseph Shih (石定).