President Tsai meets former Japanese House of Councillors President Santo Akiko
On the afternoon of May 4, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by former Japanese House of Councillors President Santo Akiko. In remarks, President Tsai thanked Japan for supporting Taiwan's international participation and for emphasizing several times at international venues the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The president expressed hope to further deepen cooperation with Japan and other democratic partners in a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I want to welcome House of Councillors Member Santo and her delegation to Taiwan. Ms. Santo is an advisor to the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council and a long-time supporter and friend of Taiwan. In 2021, when she was still serving as president of the House of Councillors, she helped facilitate the unanimous passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express our sincerest appreciation for this firm support.
Ms. Santo has been elected to Japan's House of Councillors more times than anyone else in history and is its second female president. Your visit to Taiwan as the head of this cross-party delegation of female parliamentarians is especially significant.
Taiwan has also been actively promoting women's participation in politics. Today, more than 40 percent of our national legislators are women. Our visitors today are all outstanding women national legislators. So I hope Taiwan and Japan can engage in exchanges and make progress together on important issues like gender equality and women's political participation.
In regional security cooperation, Taiwan and Japan are important partners. I want to thank the Japanese government for the many times, at various international venues, that it has emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Beginning next year, Taiwan will resume one-year mandatory military service to continue strengthening our self-defense capabilities. We are willing to further deepen our cooperation with Japan and other democratic partners in a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan and Japan also cooperate closely in the areas of trade and economy. Japan is Taiwan's third largest trading partner, and bilateral trade between our countries last year totaled US$88.2 billion, an all-time high. Currently, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Sony are building a joint-venture wafer plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. I am confident that this project will help spur cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in the tech sector, and will enable our two countries to work together in building safer and more resilient supply chains.
In addition, starting from this month, Taiwan's COVID-19 alert level has been lowered. I want to take this opportunity to thank Japan once more for donating vaccines to Taiwan when the pandemic here was at its most severe. Taiwan, for its part, donated face masks to Japan. Together, we helped each other get through the pandemic.
For many of us in Taiwan, Japan is a favorite overseas travel destination. And when you walk around in Taiwan, you are likely to see a lot of Japanese people out on the streets. We Taiwanese like to go to Japan to view the cherry blossoms. And we welcome you all to come to Taiwan and see our tung blossoms as May is the perfect time to catch the tung trees in full bloom.
House of Councillors Member Santo then delivered remarks, saying that she was honored to join three other women legislators to visit Taiwan and see President Tsai. Ms. Santo recalled that she first met President Tsai when the latter visited Japan as a presidential candidate and received words of encouragement from members of the Japanese Diet.
Ms. Santo said that President Tsai, as Taiwan's first female president, no doubt has encountered many challenging situations, but that she still manages to listen to the will of the people and overcome all manner of difficulties, showing that she is an example for women politicians. Amid the current international political tensions, Ms. Santo said, Taiwan has pursued diplomatic initiatives and its message has resonated with many countries that stand for freedom and democracy.
Ms. Santo noted that Taiwan and Japan have long historical ties and have often looked after each other's needs, cooperating and supporting each other both psychologically and economically. She added that our two countries are true friends with unbreakable ties.
Commenting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's recent series of military provocations, Ms. Santo stated that countries everywhere have strongly denounced and imposed sanctions on dictatorships that ignore human rights and suppress free speech.
Ms. Santo stated that Japan wishes to return to a state of world peace but must first work to maintain peace in Asia. She emphasized that Japan will strongly support Taiwan's participation in international organizations and expressed hope that Taiwan can act as a force for good and contribute to the world.
Also in attendance were Japanese House of Councillors Member Funayama Yasue, House of Representatives Member Shimajiri Aiko, House of Councillors Member Imai Eriko, and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Izumi Hiroyasu.