President Tsai meets Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
On the afternoon of December 11, President Tsai Ing-wen met at her official residence with Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo. In remarks, President Tsai pointed out that our two-way trade hit an all-time high last year, as did total Japanese investment in Taiwan, showing that our bilateral ties are growing closer in both the public and private sectors. The president said that Taiwan's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), besides being beneficial to Taiwan-Japan relations, would also maximize synergies and benefits for the regional economy. Noting that Japan is an important member that plays a leading role in the CPTPP, she expressed hope that Japan will continue to provide Taiwan with support and assistance, and that together we will make more contributions to the international community.
In her remarks, President Tsai first welcomed Chairman Ohashi on another visit to Taiwan, noting that it was also about this time when she met with him last year, and expressed pleasure at seeing an old friend again. The president said that in the 12 years since Chairman Ohashi was appointed to his current position, he has worked hard and contributed much to Taiwan-Japan relations, and that he has also helped facilitate the signing of several bilateral agreements. The president offered her most sincere thanks, saying that these achievements are the cornerstone of development in Taiwan-Japan relations.
President Tsai also thanked the Japanese government for continuing to publicly support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization and other international organizations. In particular, she mentioned the statement expressing such support released by the Foreign Ministers' Meeting at this year's G7, which Japan chaired. She said that in the future, Taiwan will cooperate with Japan to make more contributions to the international community.
In recent years, said the president, Taiwan and Japan have worked together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, all while continuing to enhance our economic and trade ties. She pointed out that our two-way trade hit an all-time high last year, as did total Japanese investment in Taiwan, showing that our bilateral ties are growing closer in both the public and private sectors.
President Tsai said that Taiwan's accession to the CPTPP, besides being beneficial to Taiwan-Japan relations, would also maximize synergies and benefits for the regional economy. The president noted that Japan is an important member that plays a leading role in the CPTPP, expressing hope that Japan will continue to provide Taiwan with support and assistance.
President Tsai mentioned that in the morning she had just welcomed Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office to his new post in Taiwan, and was now meeting for a discussion with Chairman Ohashi. Taiwan-Japan relations, she said, are built up in just this way, one step at a time, and she once again thanked the visitors for their support of Taiwan. President Tsai expressed confidence that the Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference and the Taiwan-Japan Commission on Cooperation in Third Country Markets, events that Chairman Ohashi is scheduled to attend over the next two days, will be very successful and productive.
Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking the president for taking the time to meet with him. He mentioned that when he visited Taiwan last year, he laid flowers at the tomb of late President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) to pay his respects and express his gratitude for the former president's contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations and world peace.
Chairman Ohashi said that he has served as chairman of the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association for 12 years, having been appointed to the role in 2011, and that he often thinks about how to do more for Taiwan. He expressed his high regards for President Tsai's work in raising Taiwan's international visibility since she took office eight years ago, and for ensuring that Taiwan is a respected democracy that can communicate with other countries on equal footing, which has helped make Taiwan a Taiwan of the world.
Chairman Ohashi expressed his respect for late President Lee's contributions to democratization, saying that through constitutional amendments made during his time as president, the term of office for the president of Taiwan was limited to two terms, eight years in total, showing that Taiwan is a mature democracy. Chairman Ohashi said he believes that no matter who becomes the next president, Taiwan deserves praise from the world for its democratization and that Taiwan's democratic system allows us to interact with other countries in the world in a reciprocal manner. He also expressed hope that President Tsai, after leaving office, will continue providing advice to Taiwan, Japan, and countries around the world.
Chairman Ohashi said that Japan has always supported Taiwan's accession to the CPTPP, but that membership is approved by consensus, which may require some more time, adding that he hopes Taiwan will have the opportunity to join the CPTPP in the near future.
Also in attendance at the meeting was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.