Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On October 10, President Tsai Ing-wen hosted a luncheon for a Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council delegation visiting Taiwan to take part in the 2022 National Day Celebration of the Republic of China. In remarks at the event, President Tsai said that, in facing the challenges of the post-pandemic world and changes in the regional and global landscape, Taiwan will continue strengthening cooperation with Japan, the United States, Europe, and other international partners to jointly defend our shared values and realize our vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The president thanked the members of the council for supporting Taiwan through concrete action, and expressed hope that they will continue to give their backing and assistance, helping Taiwan and Japan support each other on the international stage and contribute even more to the world.

A translation of the president's remarks follows:

It is a pleasure to see our good friends from the [Japan-ROC] Diet Members' Consultative Council here today. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to extend our warmest welcome. At previous National Day Celebrations, members of the Diet Members' Consultative Council have always been among our important guests. After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, representatives of the council have once again come to Taiwan to attend this event. I want to specially thank Chairman Furuya and all the Japanese Diet members for their effort in supporting Taiwan through concrete action, once again demonstrating the depth of the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

At the festivities just now, the council members took part in a parade and the Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Band put on a performance, both symbols of the strong friendship between our two countries. I am quite sure that many Taiwanese were very moved. Nicknamed the "Orange Devils," the Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School band has attracted considerable attention here in Taiwan. Today at the celebration, we saw the talent and energy of each member of the marching band in the unique way they played their instruments and danced, putting on an outstanding performance.

Having come to Taiwan with the support of their school and families, the band members have also performed with bands from Taipei First Girls High School and Stella Matutina Girls' High School, promoting cooperation between youth in Taiwan and Japan. This shows that the work of strengthening and passing down our countries' friendship is an undertaking that spans different fields and generations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the band members and everyone who has provided them with help.

Starting tomorrow, Japan will open up to individual travelers. Many Taiwanese have eagerly booked airline tickets and hotels in preparation for traveling to Japan. And on October 13, Taiwan will also loosen its border restrictions. We warmly welcome more friends from Japan to visit Taiwan and promote further exchanges. We hope that the members of the council will lend us their help in seeing that tourism between Taiwan and Japan resumes smoothly and quickly returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Taiwan and Japan share a commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and we are important partners to each other. This is the most important foundation of Taiwan-Japan ties.

Last month, we sent a delegation to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe [Shinzo], and I want to specially thank Japan for its arrangements and assistance on that occasion. Former Prime Minister Abe was an important friend to Taiwan, and we are all deeply saddened at his passing. All the members of the council are also good friends of Taiwan. We hope to continue working closely with each of you to bring Taiwan and Japan even closer together.

Facing the challenges of the post-pandemic world and changes in the  regional and global landscape, we will continue strengthening cooperation with Japan, the United States, Europe, and other international partners to jointly defend our shared values and realize our vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).

I want to thank the council for the many resolutions it has passed in support of Taiwan's international participation. I hope you will all continue to give your backing and assistance, helping Taiwan and Japan support each other on the international stage and contribute even more to the world.

In closing, let me once again welcome the members of the delegation. I wish you all a smooth visit, and look forward to more exchanges in the future. Thank you.

In his own remarks at the event, Chairman Furuya said that the many members of Japan's National Diet in this delegation had all come to take part in the National Day Celebration, and were all enthusiastic about coming to Taiwan for the festivities.

Noting that President Tsai had in her remarks expressed her condolences on the tragic passing of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, Chairman Furuya took the opportunity to once again thank President Tsai for sending former Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Chairperson Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), and Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) to attend the state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe, held in Japan on September 27. He also thanked the many Taiwanese who had come to the Taipei Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association to pay their respects to former Prime Minister Abe.

Chairman Furuya complimented President Tsai on an excellent National Day address, and noted that he found some of her statements quite moving. President Tsai said that Taiwan will not yield on its freedom or democracy because of any external pressure; that Taiwan's democratic and free system is linked to the global development of freedom and democracy, and we absolutely must not allow it to be undermined, which would harm the free and democratic global system. President Tsai also noted that when facing threats by certain countries, Taiwan must rally its international friends in a unified response to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the world. She then emphasized that Taiwanese are all part of one family and should be proud of who they are, a sentiment which Chairman Furuya found moving and admirable.

Chairman Furuya noted that members of the Legislative Yuan's Taiwan-Japan parliamentary friendship group also took part in the National Day parade alongside the visiting members of Japan's National Diet, demonstrating that Taiwan and Japan share the values of freedom and democracy and are close and trustworthy partners. He added that the National Day Celebration also included a performance by the Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Band, members of which greeted President Tsai with great delight three days earlier when they met her in the Entrance Hall of the Presidential Office and took a group photo with her. The chairman said it was a rare privilege for the band members, and expressed confidence that the band members will go on to become big fans of Taiwan.

Chairman Furuya concluded his remarks by once again thanking President Tsai for the special hospitality extended to the Japanese delegation, and stated that the members of the council will do everything they can to further advance Taiwan-Japan relations.

Also in attendance were Japanese House of Councillors Member Eto Seiichi, House of Councillors Member Shimba Kazuya, House of Councillors Member Ishii Akira, House of Councillors Member Yamamoto Junzo, House of Councillors Member Wakamatsu Kaneshige, House of Councillors Member Noda Kuniyoshi, House of Councillors Member Azuma Toru, House of Councillors Member Shiomura Ayaka, House of Councillors Member Hirose Megumi, House of Representatives Member Eto Seishiro, House of Representatives Member Kihara Minoru, House of Representatives Member Inoue Shinji, House of Representatives Member Komiyama Yasuko, House of Representatives Member Nagasaka Yasumasa, House of Representatives Member Fukushima Nobuyuki, House of Representatives Member Gemma Kentaro, House of Representatives Member Wada Yuichiro, House of Representatives Member Horii Kenji, and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Hiroyasu Izumi.