Japan should enforce a law parallel to the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) to consolidate its partnership with Taiwan, Jikido Aeba, a Japanese lawmaker and academic, told a seminar in Taipei yesterday.
He is also concerned about Taiwan’s security in the face of mounting Chinese pressure, Aeba told a seminar titled Strengthening Strategic Partnership between Japan and Taiwan, which was organized by the Formosa Republican Association and the Japanese Conservative Union (JCU) at National Taiwan University.
Taiwan’s future is at stake in its presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 11, while it is expected to face more pressure from China after the elections, said Aeba, who is chairman of the JCU.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
While many Japanese hope support for Taiwan can be bolstered, the past 70 years has seen mostly economic collaboration, he said.
Democratic partners, such as Japan, the US, India, Australia and South Korea, should support Taiwan, while Tokyo should announce that it would guard Taiwan if it faces security threats, he said.
The Japanese government should establish a Taiwan-Japan relations bill, while amending its constitution to enable the Japan Self-Defense Forces to defend its Asian partners, he said.
It is important for Japan that Taiwan maintains its democracy and freedoms, said Genki Fujii, a Japanese academic of international affairs.
If Taiwan were annexed by China, Japan’s security, economy and social prosperity would be affected as well, Fujii said, adding that the destinies of Taiwan and Japan are closely tied.
Taiwan has followed Japan in its economic development and grown into a democracy, and its political and economic achievements are remarkable in Asia, he said.
By contrast, China falsely claims to have a capitalist system, but it steals ideas from other countries, he said.
He asked how China could lead a nation as advanced as Taiwan.
As an outsider, Taiwan is a great country, Fujii said, calling on Taiwanese to be more confident.
Taiwan-Japan ties should be consolidated through legislation, he said, adding that the Japanese government should enforce a parallel version of the TRA.
While the issue is not yet on the Japanese government’s agenda, some lawmakers have expressed an interest in it, he said, adding that the JCU would continue lobbying for the issue, even though it might take some time.
Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist for US President Donald Trump, gave a recorded speech at the seminar.
Taiwan’s elections next month are about defending independence and freedom, which is far more important for the region and the entire world, especially as the Chinese Communist Party continues to enslave its people and threaten regional order, Bannon said.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS