President Ma Ying-jeou met with Mr. Kouki Kobayashi, Member of Japan's House of Representatives, and colleagues on the morning of October 14 at the Presidential Office. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), expressed a welcome and appreciation to Mr. Kobayashi, who belongs to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), on his visit here.
President Ma first extended his congratulations on the DPJ's victory in recent parliamentary elections. The president noted that Mr. Kobayashi was previously a member of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council and also at one point served as the head of the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians' Friendship League. Mr. Kobayashi, the president said, has long provided assistance and maintains close interaction with the ROC.
The president commented that the Japanese government donated 110 million yen of funds and goods after heavy flooding and landslides ravaged southern Taiwan in early August. Combined with donations by the private sector, Japan provided a total of 250 million yen of assistance in the wake of the disaster. The president expressed his deepest appreciation for this generosity.
President Ma remarked that since assuming office last year, the government has taken the initiative in promoting the special partnership between Taiwan and Japan, and even designated this year as "The Year to Foster the Special Partnership between Taiwan and Japan." The past year has seen the two sides chalk up many achievements, he said, pointing to the conclusion of bilateral fishing negotiations early this year, which has been of assistance to fishermen; the inking of a youth working holiday agreement, which enables youth between the ages of 18 and 30 to work or vacation in the other country; and the commencement of four round-trip flights between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Taipei's Songshan Airport each day, which will reduce transportation time between the two countries. President Ma also pointed out that the ROC (Taiwan) plans on establishing a representative office in Sapporo to provide assistance to tourists from Taiwan and other overseas compatriots visiting Hokkaido. Meanwhile, the ROC will set up a cultural center in Tokyo to promote cultural interaction between the two sides. Also, Japan has begun allowing Taiwan citizens to write "Taiwan" as their nationality on residence cards. President Ma said the ROC hopes that the Japanese parliament will pass legislation to guarantee the safety of articles from Taiwan's National Palace Museum, which will enable artworks from the museum to be exhibited in Japan. The president also stressed that Taiwan pays extremely close attention to the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, believing that this is an important pillar and force in preserving peace in East Asia. We will continue to support cooperation between Japan and the United States in the area of security, he said.
The president also explained that at the same time that Taiwan is seeking to improve its ties with Japan, it is also strengthening its relations with mainland China. Negotiations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have resumed, reducing tension. Over the past year-plus period, he said, Taiwan and mainland China have signed nine agreements that have liberalized visits by mainland Chinese to Taiwan for tourism, opened direct navigation and aviation links between the two sides, paved the way for tests to ensure food safety, and promoted mutual judicial assistance. These agreements have proven instrumental in turning the page on a new era in relations between the two sides, he said.
The visitors expressed their deepest concern for the serious damage caused to southern Taiwan by Typhoon Morakot and said Japan is willing to continue to provide necessary assistance. They added that at a time when Japan and mainland China are pursuing better relations, Japan will not neglect the importance of its relationship with Taiwan. Mr. Kobayashi said he will continue to promote mutual visits among various sectors of both sides, as well as economic cooperation and cultural interaction, thereby substantively bolstering contact between the two countries.