President Tsai hosts luncheon for Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council delegation visiting on 2023 National Day
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 2023 National Day Celebration of the Republic of China. In remarks at the luncheon, President Tsai thanked the group for once again organizing a visiting delegation, which attended the National Day Celebration and parade, taking action to demonstrate their support for Taiwan. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the council's founding, President Tsai said that over the past half-century, Taiwan and Japan have become important partners in regional development, and expressed hope that the strong friendship between Taiwan and Japan can be passed down to future generations and can turn our countries into a model for cooperation to achieve mutual prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
In her remarks, President Tsai first welcomed the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council's move to once again form a delegation to visit Taiwan, and thanked the members of the delegation for attending the National Day Celebration and parade, taking action to demonstrate their support for Taiwan. She noted that the Taiwanese in attendance at the Celebration were very excited to see the delegation members take part in the parade, and thanked all the members for their support for Taiwan and for the warmth they gave to the Taiwanese people.
President Tsai also noted that the Taiwanese people had very much looked forward to the performance at this year's National Day Celebration by the marching band of Tokyo University of Agriculture's Second High School. She said that the joint performance by the "Emerald Knights," as the band is known, and the Drum and Bugle Corps of Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School showed the excellent rapport between the groups and reflected the friendship between members of the younger generations in Taiwan and Japan.
Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the council's founding, President Tsai said that over the past half-century, Taiwan and Japan have become important partners in regional development, and have continued to deepen our friendship. Thanking the council for its contributions, the president further noted that the council, which annually passes resolutions in support of Taiwan's international participation, encouraged mutual aid between Taiwan and Japan during the pandemic, as part of which our countries donated vaccines and disease prevention supplies to each other. She also mentioned that the council held a strategic dialogue between Taiwanese and Japanese legislators to further deepen bilateral ties.
President Tsai thanked the Japanese government for repeatedly emphasizing at numerous international occasions the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and said we look forward to realizing the new plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) put forward by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan. The president added that Taiwan will work with Japan, the US, and other like-minded countries to jointly realize a vision that protects peace and ensures freedom.
President Tsai further said that, for the sake of promoting Taiwan-Japan trade cooperation, she hopes Chairman Furuya Keiji and the other delegation members will support Taiwan's bid for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which would allow Taiwan and Japan to together contribute even more to regional economic prosperity.
Noting that sentiments of Taiwan-Japan friendship are deeply felt among the peoples of our countries, President Tsai expressed hope that even closer exchanges will pass these strong sentiments down to future generations and turn our countries into a model for cooperation to achieve mutual prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
In his own remarks at the luncheon, Chairman Furuya first extended his best wishes on the National Day of the Republic of China, and thanked President Tsai for holding a luncheon to welcome his delegation. He mentioned that for this important year, the 50th anniversary of the council's founding, the council had organized its largest-ever delegation to the National Day Celebration, with more than 40 legislators taking part. He noted that, at the Celebration just earlier, the members of the council's delegation had held a banner celebrating Taiwan-Japan friendship with members of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan while taking part in the parade. The chairman said he was greatly moved by the expressions of warmth, support, and welcome he received during the procession.
Chairman Furuya noted that his delegation had taken high-speed rail to visit Tainan two days earlier, and described Taiwan's high-speed rail as a prime symbol of the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan, expressing confidence that many Taiwanese frequently use the convenient high-speed rail network. The chairman further noted that during the visit to Tainan, the delegation visited a statue of the Japanese hydrological engineer Hatta Yoichi as well as the Old Waterworks Museum, both of which bear testament to the century-long friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
Chairman Furuya pointed out that exchanges and interactions between Taiwan and Japan have gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels, and said that the council would endeavor to help local governments and schools across Japan engage in education exchanges with Taiwan.
Noting that the Taiwanese government had donated Taiwan red cypress trees to Okinawa this past August to assist in the rebuilding of Shurijo Castle, Chairman Furuya recalled the expression "a friend in need is a friend indeed," saying that one who extends a helping hand when their friend is in trouble is a true friend. The chairman said he believes this gesture deepened the friendship between Taiwan and Okinawa.
Chairman Furuya pointed out that, with the recent and continuous flow of visiting officials from across the world to Taiwan, Taiwan has become a hotspot of international attention. Adding that China has never ceased its actions and intention to attempt to use force to unilaterally change the status quo, the chairman expressed his belief that Japan must help make other countries aware of this situation.
Chairman Furuya mentioned that in 2022, members of the council joined President You Si-kun (游錫堃) of the Legislative Yuan at Su'ao, Yilan County, where they looked out toward Yonaguni Island, the Japanese island closest to Taiwan. This gesture helped others realize the importance of the late Prime Minister Abe's comment that "If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem." The chairman said he believes that Japan must join with other like-minded countries around the world to prevent any situation in which "Taiwan has a problem."
Chairman Furuya emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait concern not just the security of the Taiwanese people, but also global security and the peace and stability of the international community. The chairman expressed his sincere hope that countries which share our common values can work together closely to gradually realize the new plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific promoted by Japan.
Chairman Furuya further commented that President Tsai's National Day Address left a deep impression on him, and added that all countries that share the values of freedom, rule of law, and respect for human rights must cooperate to ensure peace for the world as well as peace for Taiwan.
Also in attendance were Japanese House of Representatives Member Eto Seishiro, House of Councillors Member Ishii Akira, House of Representatives Member Hagiuda Koichi, House of Representatives Member Hirofumi Ryu, House of Councillors Member Kawano Yoshihiro, House of Representatives Member Inoue Shinji, House of Representatives Member Kosaburo Nishime, House of Councillors Member Arimura Haruko, House of Councillors Member Takinami Hirofumi, House of Representatives Member Sasaki Hajime, House of Representatives Member Nagasaka Yasumasa, House of Representatives Member Fukushima Nobuyuki, House of Representatives Member Wada Yuichiro, House of Councillors Member Kitamura Tsuneo, House of Representatives Member Shimajiri Aiko, House of Representatives Member Okuno Shinsuke, House of Representatives Member Matsumoto Yohei, House of Representatives Member Suzuki Keisuke, House of Representatives Member Kitagami Keiro, House of Councillors Member Aoyama Shigeharu, House of Representatives Member Yamashita Takashi, House of Representatives Member Mutai Shunsuke, House of Representatives Member Sugita Mio, House of Representatives Member Takei Shunsuke, House of Councillors Member Inoue Yoshiyuki, House of Representatives Member Michishita Daiki, House of Representatives Member Nonaka Atsushi, House of Councillors Member Umemura Mizuho, House of Councillors Member Hamada Satoshi, House of Representatives Member Horii Kenji, House of Representatives Member Takahashi Hideaki, House of Representatives Member Suzuki Atsushi, House of Representatives Member Suzuki Eikei, House of Councillors Member Nagai Manabu, House of Councillors Member Kato Akiyoshi, House of Representatives Member Yamamoto Gosei, House of Representatives Member Hayasaka Atsushi, House of Representatives Member Yoshida Shinji, and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Izumi Hiroyasu.