Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen sent a letter on February 9 to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressing sincere thanks on behalf of all Taiwanese to the prime minister and people of Japan for their warm condolences and assistance following the earthquake that struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County last Tuesday.

In her letter President Tsai said that she, and the people of Taiwan, were touched by the warm friendship shown by Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese people following the earthquake. The prime minister had conveyed his deep concern for the disaster, penning a message urging the Taiwanese people to remain strong in his own calligraphy and appearing in a video to personally deliver condolences to the victims. As the disaster unfolded, Japan quickly dispatched experts and advanced rescue equipment to Taiwan to aid relief efforts, which shows that adversity is the truest test of a relationship, and that Taiwan and Japan both cherish their shared friendship and values.