Japan's concern over Taiwan in terms of security as a result of Beijing's enactment of its "Anti-Secession" Law has become increasingly explicit, Taiwan's representative to Japan said yesterday.
Koh Se-kai (
Fielding questions at the Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs Committee, Koh said that the Japanese government has expressed its intention to "demonstrate grave concern" and "conduct a possible intervention" in the event of incidents that may undermine cross-strait peace.
Koh said Japan is not legally allowed to organize its own military forces without amending Article 9 of its Constitution. But if cross-strait conflict erupts after the Japanese Constitution is amended, it will positively demonstrate its serious concern toward such conflict, Koh added.
Should cross-strait conflict occur prior to a Japanese constitutional amendment, Koh said, Japan would only be able to lend support, such as logistical aid, to the US military -- in the event that the US came to Taiwan's rescue militarily if a cross-strait war erupted.
Discounting criticism by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (
Koh promised to look further into Taiwan's trade deficit with Japan, which soared by 50 percent to reach US$56.83 billion last year, saying that he will see to it that certain measures are adjusted.
Despite the fact that he is pro-Taiwan independence and that the establishment of a "Republic of Taiwan" is his personal ideal, Koh said that as a government functionary, his priority is to fulfill his governmental obligations.
"I know what I'm doing," Koh said in response to People First Party Legislator Sun Ta-chian (孫大千). He added he agrees with Sun that the best common ground for Taiwan for the time being is maintaining the Republic of China and securing the cross-strait status quo.
Meanwhile, Koh said, Japan will continue to support Taiwan in its bid to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) , the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, this year, marking the third consecutive year that Japan has openly thrown its support behind Taiwan in this regard.
The Japanese government has promised that "what has been achieved will not be degraded," Koh said, adding that his office will continue to push for Japanese officials to voice support for Taiwan at the WHA. In addition, he said, a number of Taiwanese health officials are scheduled to visit Japan in April to enhance Taiwan's WHA lobby.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
Japanese Councilor Hei Seki (石平) on Wednesday said that he plans to visit Taiwan, saying that would “prove that Taiwan is an independent country and does not belong to China.” Seki, a member of the Japan Innovation Party, was born in Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province and became a naturalized Japanese in 2007. He was elected to the House of Concilors last year. His views on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — espoused in a series of books on politics and history — prompted Beijing to sanction him, including barring Seki from traveling to China. Seki wrote on X that he intends
RSS