Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that his government invited Taiwan to send a representative to an earthquake memorial service to make amends for the fact that Taiwan was not properly recognized at last year’s ceremony.
Although Taiwan donated more than ¥20 billion (US$208.2 million) in relief and reconstruction aid after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, more than any other country, it was not named at last year’s anniversary memorial on the list of the countries that had helped Japan, Abe said in a Facebook post.
This omission hurt the feelings of Taiwanese and was against proper protocol, even though a Taiwanese official was present at last year’s event, said Abe, who assumed office in December.
For this reason, Abe said, he decided to do things differently.
During Monday’s second anniversary memorial, when the list of countries that helped Japan was being read, Taiwan was included, although the country’s name was not mentioned, but rather the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan” was credited.
Representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳) and other members of the foreign diplomatic corps were invited to lay wreaths in memory of the disaster victims.
Because of Japan’s decision to include Taiwan, China did not send a representative to the memorial service, which Abe said was “regrettable.”
However, Japan has to mind its manners, Abe said, expressing gratitude to Taiwan and all those who supported Japan after the March 11, 2011, disaster.
The Facebook post received more than 30,000 “likes” and was “shared” by about 4,000 people within three hours of Abe uploading the message.
At last year’s anniversary event, Vice Representative to Japan Lo Koon-tsan (羅坤燦) was seated with representatives of civic groups, and not with the dignitaries.
Lo was also not invited to go on stage to lay wreaths.
These arrangements were panned by Japanese parliamentarians and the media.
Then-Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda later apologized for the snub.
Additional reporting by Chang Mao-sen
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft