The government yesterday said it would continue to seek Tokyo’s support and understanding after a top Japanese official said that Taiwan is unlikely to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) because of the result of its referendum banning certain Japanese food imports.
“Japan’s reaction is understandable and this is going to be a strenuous challenge for Taiwan,” Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said, adding that the Cabinet has instructed government agencies to communicate with Tokyo.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release said it would continue to engage in “earnest communication” with Japan and handle with discretion any possible actions Tokyo could take in response to the passage of a referendum on Nov. 24 that called for a continued ban on imports of Japanese agricultural and food products from Fukushima and four other prefectures after the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.
Photo: EPA-EFE
A total of 7,791,856 people, or 78 percent of the votes cast, favored retaining the ban, further tying the hands of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, which has sought to relax the major impediment to bilateral trade relations.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo yesterday, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Kono reiterated Tokyo’s regret over the referendum’s passage, which he said has unfortunately made Taiwan’s bid to join the Japan-led CPTPP unlikely.
“If this [Taiwan’s import ban] violates WTO regulations, Japan does not rule out taking the matter to the WTO. In addition, the CPTPP pact is expected to take effect this year and it is very regrettable that this matter has made it unlikely for Taiwan to join the partnership,” Kono said.
It was the first time Kono has directly connected the import ban on Japanese food products with Taiwan’s chances of joining the CPTPP.
The ban has also resulted in the suspension of the Taiwan-Japan Economic Partnership Committee, which was established in 2013 as a platform for discussing economic, trade and investment issues.
After the conclusion of the annual Taiwan-Japan trade and economic meeting in Taipei on Nov. 30, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Secretary-General Chang Shu-ling (張淑玲) conveyed Taiwan’s hope of being included in the CPTPP to her Japanese counterparts through different channels.
“We hope that Japan could offer us more assistance, including through the exchange of information,” she said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who initiated the referendum, in a press release said that Japan’s use of the ban as a threat showed that the DPP’s claim that Taiwan-Japan relations are “at their best” is a lie.
“Taiwan and Japan have always had an uneven trade relationship. Taiwan holds a trade deficit of NT$600 billion [US$19.45 billion] with Japan. Haven’t we bought enough?” Hau asked, adding that the Taiwan-Japan relationship should not be built solely on meeting Japan’s demands.
According to Ministry of Finance statistics, Taiwan had a trade deficit of NT$634.8 billion with Japan last year.
Additional reporting by Lee Hsin-fan and CNA
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
‘FALLACY’: Xi’s assertions that Taiwan was given to the PRC after WWII confused right and wrong, and were contrary to the facts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) claim that China historically has sovereignty over Taiwan “deceptive” and “contrary to the facts.” In an article published on Wednesday in the Russian state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Xi said that this year not only marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the UN, but also “Taiwan’s restoration to China.” “A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration have affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” Xi wrote. “The historical and legal fact” of these documents, as well
RSS