The largest-ever delegation of congressmen from Japan came to Taipei yesterday to talk to local politicians and discuss issues affecting peace and stability in East Asia.
The delegation, comprising some 22 members of the House of Representatives and two members of the House of Councilors visited Taiwan to attend the Asian Strategic Conference.
The conference is organized by Jikyoko Shinwa Kai (
Yoshinaka Yamamoto (
"We hope that, through the conference, specialists in Taiwan and Japan can jointly discuss Asian political issues," Yamamoto said, adding that the talks would benefit both countries.
"We do not have any specific political orientation. We keep contacts with all political parties in Taiwan. We are friendly with President Chen Shui-bian (
Yamamoto's organization invited both Lien and ex-DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (
Speaking at the conference, Shih called on Japan to join hands with Taiwan to fight against China's expansionism.
"If the status quo in the Taiwan Strait can not be maintained, the interests of both Taiwan and Japan will be affected," Shih said.
"No country can fight on its own against a foreign military threat. The US government recently said it needs the provision of assistance from Australia to maintain peace in East Asia," he said.
Lien held a different view from Shih on the threat that China now poses to countries in East Asia.
"Many people think China will be a stumbling block to world peace in the future. We do not agree with such a view, since it will only push China to become more hostile and threatening to the rest of the world," Lien said at the conference.
"I think China represents a threat on the one hand and an opportunity on the other. As we caution against the threat from China, we must also take advantage of its opportunity," Lien said.
"Countries in East Asia can join hands to promote democratization and liberalization in China. We can thus create a stable China. This will become an important task for countries in the region," he added.
Both Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
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