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Dec. 1 elections: Taiwan Advocates to expand overseas

Taiwan Advocates (群策會) seeks to deal with issues beyond stabilizing domestic politics and promote its chairman Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) resolve to improve the nation's international presence, according to the head of the Taiwanese Association in Japan.

Taiwan Advocates, which is set to be formed after tomorrow's polls, will be a cross-party, multi-ethnic advocacy group joined by political heavyweights in Taiwan and overseas.

Domestically, the group is expected to play an influential role in party realignment after the election. But Lin Jianne-liang (林建良), head of the Taiwanese Association in Japan, said that the purpose of the organization will not be limited to Taiwan.

"It's obvious that the group plans to help make breakthroughs on the country's baffling foreign affairs front because several noted scholars from Japanese think tanks are reportedly listed in the invitation [to work with the group]," Lin told the Taipei Times yesterday in a phone interview.

According to Japanese news-papers, Okajaki Hisahiko, Japan's former ambassador to Thailand, and Nakajima Mineo, former president of the Tokyo University of Foreign studies, have both received invitations, Lin said.

Okajaki is the director of the Okajaki Institute, a research center on Japan's politics and national security. He boasts a career as a highly influential politician in Japan and still has close connections with the US government. Japan's ministry of foreign affairs is dominated by pro-China officials and Okajaki is one of the few officials who strongly supported Taiwan.

Lin added that the Japanese media has given the Taiwan Advocates proposal a fair amount of positive coverage since Lee announced the news on Tuesday.

As a Taiwanese who has resided in Japan for some time, Lin said that building a stronger Taiwan should not just rely on military defense, adding that promoting trade and cultural ties with the rest of the world is equally important.

"Former president Lee is very much aware of this rationale; therefore I believe the founding of Taiwan Advocates is aimed at strengthening this plan," Lin said.

Local media yesterday reported that a group of scholars, cultural elite and congressmen from Japan and the US are expected to attend Taiwan Advocates' founding ceremony next Monday.

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishi-hara (石原慎太郎) is one of those invited. But when contacted by the Taipei Times yesterday, Nakajima said he was not aware of the event as he has been in Europe for weeks.
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