Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

During a meeting on the morning of September 7 with a delegation from the Japanese House of Representatives led by Shunichi Yamaguchi, President Tsai Ing-wen stated that Taiwan and Japan enjoy close bilateral relations, and expressed hope that the two sides can work together in conjunction with our industrial innovation policies to jointly create new opportunities for cooperation.

In remarks, the president said that relations between Taiwan and Japan have always been stable and friendly. The number of tourists traveling between the two countries has been hitting historic highs in recent years, an indication of strong mutual respect and admiration. The president voiced hope that the delegation's visit to Taiwan will further enhance bilateral relations and mutual trust and lay a strong foundation for future cooperation.

President Tsai pointed out that Taiwan has launched plans to promote five major innovative industries, including the Asian Silicon Valley initiative, the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, green energy, smart machinery, and national defense industry. In addition, new agriculture and the circular economy are also going to be key focal points of policy for the new administration. Hopefully, she said, there will be a better platform in the future for cooperation between Taiwan and Japan so that the two countries can work together to develop these industries.

The president commented that Tokushima Prefecture, which Mr. Yamaguchi represents in the Japanese House of Representatives, is home to outstanding industrial clusters. Also, Professor Shuji Nakamura, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014, graduated from Tokushima University and made Tokushima Prefecture famous as the birthplace of the blue light-emitting diode (LED). President Tsai also mentioned that Japan is a technology‐driven country that possesses immense capability for cutting-edge R&D work as well as market development, while Taiwan's advantages are the ability for rapid market validation and flexible production. If Taiwan and Japan can continue to work together and complement each other, they will be able to create new opportunities for cooperation in industrial development.

And finally, President Tsai reiterated that Taiwan values and is firmly committed to its relationship with Japan, and strongly hopes to work hand-in-hand with Japan to enhance bilateral relations. The president then expressed hope that Japan will continue to support Taiwan on the international stage and promote a stronger bilateral friendship.