President Tsai Ing-wen (???) on Friday said that she believed Taiwan and Japan would continue their efforts to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, during a virtual meeting with a visiting delegation from the Youth Division of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Tsai’s remarks echoed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s statement Thursday that a peaceful and stable Taiwan Strait was critical not only for Japan’s security but also for the stability of international society.
In addition to Kishida’s support, Tsai mentioned that she had received similar support at a separate video conference held in March with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Tsai added that Taiwan would continue to cement its ties with Japan and increase exchanges not only at the governmental level but also among the private sector.
The meeting between Tsai and the Japanese delegation was held online Friday afternoon after Daisuke Nishino, a member of the 11-strong Youth Division delegation, tested positive for COVID-19 in Taiwan early Thursday.
The delegation, led by LDP Youth Division head Masanobu Ogura, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, arrived in Taipei on Tuesday for a five-day visit.
Tsai also expressed her gratitude to Japan for a donation last year of more than 4.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which was made at a time when Taiwan was struggling to secure adequate supplies.
Taiwan’s CPTPP bid
On trade-related matters, Tsai called for Japan’s support for Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Tsai said that Taipei had demonstrated its determination to join the trade bloc by revising its laws to meet the CPTPP standards and also lifting a ban on imports of Japanese food and agricultural products from areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Although Taiwan applied in September 2021 to join the Tokyo-led trade pact, it has yet to gain the unanimous approval of all 11 current members, which is a prerequisite for joining.
In Friday’s meeting with Tsai, Ogura also raised concerns about the stability across the Taiwan Strait, citing China’s recent military sorties into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
On Friday, 18 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern and southeastern parts of Taiwan, marking another day of China’s provocative actions against Taiwan.
Other participants in Friday’s meeting included Hiroyasu Izumi, representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (???).
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel