DPP chairman Yu to lead delegation to Japan

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun will lead a party delegation on a five-day visit to Japan from next Tuesday, but whether Yu will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe or members of the Japanese Cabinet is still not clear, the DPP said.

DPP Department of International Affairs director Winston Dang (陳重信), who will accompany Yu, said the visit was primarily academic as Yu had accepted an invitation from Waseda University to deliver a speech.

But Dang said the pair would also engage in diplomacy.

"Of course we hope we can meet with important figures in Japanese [political] parties," Dang said at a press conference.

He added that Abe and Yu are old friends and said the two would meet if it was convenient.

According to the DPP, Yu will give a speech entitled "Taiwan's Survival" at Waseda University and another entitled "Threats and Challenges to Peace in East Asia" at the Tokyo Foundation, a think tank.

DPP Department of Culture and Information Director Super Meng (孟義超) said Yu would touch on constitutional reform issues in his speech at Waseda University, but denied that Yu would act as an envoy for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Yu will address the North Korea issue in his second speech and comment on Japan's role in the crisis, Meng added.