DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said that he understood but disagreed with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial visit to the Yasakuni war shrine on Monday.
"I can understand that Koizumi has to consider domestic public opinion, but he should have thought about how neighboring countries would look at his visit," Hsieh said.
Hsieh was speaking at the founding ceremony of the DPP's Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"I hope that Japan will not do anything to harm the feelings of people in neighboring countries," Hsieh added.
Despite criticism that the association was being founded on the 56th anniversary of the end of World War II, Hsieh stressed that the party's goal to promote its political links with Japan would not be obstructed -- either by Koizumi's controversial visit or by domestic political groups that are hostile to Japan.
He said that the association would coordinate its activities with party officials, the presidential office, the Cabinet and the Legislative Yuan in dealing with Taiwan-Japan affairs.
Addressing the DPP government's emphasis on developing relations with Japan, Yu Shyi-kun, secretary-general to the president, said that as neighboring countries, Japan and Taiwan naturally had close links.
Since coming to power, however, the DPP has failed to nurture bilateral ties and Japanese connections established by the KMT, Yu said.
The rise of "China fever," a lack of talented people who speak Japanese well and frequent changes in government in Japan have conspired to divert attention from the development of Taiwan-Japan relations, he said.
He suggested that the party take the initiative in mending relations with Japan and help the government strengthen ties between the two countries.
Echoing Yu's views, Hsieh added that Taiwanese and Japanese businessmen should cooperate in making investments in China, since Japan could share its knowledge of business management and Taiwan could contribute an understanding of Chinese culture.
Also in attendance at yesterday's founding ceremony were chief representative of Japan's Interchange Association in Taipei Shintaro Yamashita, and outgoing chairman of the Association of East Asian Relations, Lin Chin-ching (林金莖). Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended.
Sharing his 42-years of experience handling Taiwan-Japan affairs, Lin yesterday encouraged the DPP to strengthen its relations with Japanese congressmen.
"With the existing foundations of the relationship built by former president Lee Teng-hui (
Expressing his congratulations to the DPP, Yamashita yesterday said that he would later recommend that Japan promote its unofficial ties with Taiwan from the parliamentary to the Cabinet level.
Although the DPP has failed to consistently attend to links with the Japanese government and congressmen, former DPP chairmen Shih Ming-te (
"Their relations were built up in a personal capacity and no further development has been made," said the association's coordinator Tien Hsin (
Tien said that therefore, the party would establish more comprehensive links with Japanese political parties, congressmen, academics and the business sector.
The New Party, however, yesterday staged a protest in front of Japan's Interchange Association in Taipei against Koizumi's visit to the war shrine, urging the public to stop buying all Japanese-made goods.
"Hatred from the war can be forgiven, but not forgotten," the party's legislative whip Hsieh Chih-ta (
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