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.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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