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Japanese representative scolded over remark on Taiwan’s ‘unresolved’ status

A former foreign minister-turned-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker charged yesterday that Japan should recall its representative to Taipei over the latter’s comment that Taiwan’s status is unclear. Taiwan’s former representative to Japan, on the other hand, supported the Japanese representative, saying that he did not say anything wrong.

The fuss stemmed from remarks made by Masaki Saito, head of the Taipei office of Japan’s Interchange Association — Japan’s de facto embassy in Taiwan — on Friday that Taiwan’s status is “still unresolved.” Saito made the comments at an annual meeting of the Republic of China (ROC) ­International Relations Association at National Chung Cheng University in Chiayi County.

The Japanese representative later apologized for his remarks after Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) lodged a protest and demanded an explanation.

A news release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Hsia summoned Saito, who said that it was purely his personal view that Taiwan’s status was unresolved and that his comment did not reflect the position of the Japanese government.

The release said Saito apologized to Hsia, saying he was sorry that his remarks had created difficulty for the ROC government. Saito said he would contact the International Relations ­Association to withdraw his statement, the release added.

KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) said yesterday neither Saito nor the MOFA had done enough to deal with Saito’s “serious gaffe.”

Saito and the Japan Interchange Association should offer a public apology in a written statement and not just an oral apology to Hsia, Chiang said, adding that the explanation offered by Saito and the Japan Interchange Association afterwards that what Saito said was his personal opinion was “unacceptable.”

“Without a doubt, [Saito’s] comments in a public speech in a university in Taiwan were his opinions made in his official capacity,” he said.Chiang called on MOFA to “take stronger action” to demand a clear explanation of the matter and to ask the Japanese government to recall Saito or have him replaced if it is not satisfied with Japan’s response.

KMT Legislator Liu Shen-liang (劉盛良) said Saito and the Japan Interchange Association should admit that Saito made “incorrect comments” on the status of Taiwan instead of saying that his comments were personal.

Former Taiwan representative to Japan Koh Se-kai (?? yesterday said he believed Saito had no reason to apologize because he did not say anything wrong and that Hsia’s chiding was “merely a show.”

Koh made the comments on the sideline of a forum organized by the Taiwan New Century Foundation.

Koh said the Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951 did not clearly name a recipient when Japan gave up its claim over Taiwan. The fact that no recipient was specifically named means Taiwan’s status remains ambiguous even though it maintains an independent body of governance with its own territories and population, he said.

He said the ROC ceased to exist after the UN in 1971 passed a resolution in which the People’s Republic of China replaced the ROC in the international body.

The view that the ROC and Taiwan are the same would only further confuse the international community, he said, adding that such rhetoric was used as a political tactic by people who want Taiwan to unify with China.

“Go ask any senior Japanese foreign ministry official. None of them will say that Japan supports the view that Taiwan is part of China. But all of them will say that Japan does not oppose such a view,” he said, adding that there is a clear degree of difference between “supporting” and “not opposing.”

Koh also accused President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of betraying Taiwanese by declaring a “diplomatic truce” with China.

The raison d’etre of diplomacy is for a country to survive in the international community by co-existing with other nations. Any sacrificing of this effort means the country wishes to discontinue its sovereignty, he said.

While the US and other countries are gravely concerned about China’s rapid military buildup in recent years, he said, Ma has dragged his feet in procuring arms to boost Taiwan’s defense capability.

Ma’s “diplomatic truce” is putting Taiwan’s future in Beijing’s hands, he said.
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