News & activities
News releases
On the afternoon of August 2, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a parliamentary delegation from the Japan Innovation Party's Taiwan friendship discussion group. In remarks, President Tsai said that Taiwan and Japan are important international partners for each other, and thanked Japan for reiterating on multiple international occasions the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president expressed hope that the delegation members will continue to help make the case in the National Diet for Taiwan's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and invited them to work together to promote economic prosperity in the region. She also invited more of our Japanese friends to visit Taiwan and take Taiwan-Japan relations to new heights.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
The Japan Innovation Party is an important friend of Taiwan. It has frequently spoken up and done its utmost for Taiwan's interests in Japan's National Diet. I would like to offer a sincere welcome to Representative Baba Nobuyuki, who is once again leading a delegation and showing support for Taiwan through action. I am delighted to be able to meet with Representative Baba and all of our distinguished guests.
Taiwan and Japan are important international partners for each other. Whenever there is a major disaster, we offer each other support and overcome challenges together, forming a virtuous cycle. I would like to offer special thanks to the Japan Innovation Party for donating 10 million yen to disaster relief efforts following the major earthquake in Hualien in 2018. And during the pandemic, Japan provided Taiwan with 4.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The people of Taiwan are grateful and will always remember these acts of friendship.
As countries have lifted pandemic travel restrictions, many Taiwanese have made Japan their first-choice destination for overseas trips. And we see many Japanese travelers on the streets here in Taiwan. I welcome more of our Japanese friends to visit Taiwan and continue to deepen the exchanges between us.
In addition, on multiple international occasions over the past few years, Japan and many Western countries have reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and have also called on the international community to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) and World Health Organization. That includes Japan's House of Councillors, which in 2021 unanimously passed a resolution supporting Taiwan's WHA participation, thanks to the efforts and contributions of members with us here today. Once again, I want to thank everyone for their sincere friendship toward Taiwan.
Taiwan will continue to be a force for good in the international community. In addition to playing a major role in global trade and industry supply chains, Taiwan is willing and able to contribute to regional prosperity and development.
We hope that the delegation members will continue to make the case in the National Diet for Taiwan's accession to the CPTPP. Let us work together to promote economic prosperity in the region and take Taiwan-Japan relations to new heights. I wish you all a smooth and productive visit.
Representative Baba then delivered remarks, first thanking President Tsai for finding time in her busy schedule to meet with the delegation. He also expressed sincere gratitude to President Tsai for making time to exchange views with Japan Innovation Party Secretary General and House of Representatives Member Fujita Fumitake, who recently visited with a cross-party delegation of National Diet members.
Echoing President Tsai's earlier remarks, Representative Baba reaffirmed that Taiwan and Japan are deepening links at all levels. More than 10 years ago following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan, he said, Taiwan donated more than 20 billion yen and provided extensive aid to the post-disaster reconstruction effort. Taiwan also recently donated five precious red cypress logs for the reconstruction of Shurijo Castle in Okinawa.
In addition to expressing thanks for the deep friendship of the people and government of Taiwan and their abiding regard for Japan, Representative Baba said he believes that in the future, Taiwan and Japan will have even closer and deeper exchanges in security, economy, and tourism, as well as people-to-people interaction.
Representative Baba emphasized that the Japan Innovation Party's Taiwan friendship discussion group has open membership and is the only discussion group in the party that is dedicated to a single country or region, that being Taiwan. Going forward, he said, the group will do its utmost to help Taiwan make further progress across many areas.
The delegation also included Japanese House of Representatives Members Inoue Hidetaka and Nakatsuka Hiroshi, House of Councillors Members Yanagase Hirofumi, Otokita Shun, Azuma Toru, Ishii Akira, and Shibata Takumi, as well as Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Izumi Hiroyasu.
