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Frank Hsieh readies for four-day visit to Japan, alma mater

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) will embark on a four-day visit to Japan on Sunday, during which he intends to meet former Japanese prime minister Mori Yoshiro, among others.

Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), director of the Department of International Affairs at Hsieh's campaign office, said Hsieh would also visit former governor of Tokyo Ishihara Shintaro and Hiranuma Takeo, the former minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

AGENDA

A meeting with former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi is still being arranged, Hsiao said, adding that the media would be informed who Hsieh will be meeting.

DPP Legislator Huang Chien-huei (黃劍輝), who doubles as a spokesman at Hsieh's campaign office, said Hsieh would "see those whom he wants to see and those you don't expect him to see," promising that Hsieh would have as few "secret" meetings as possible.

Hsieh will not visit any political parties this time, mainly because of time restraints, Hsiao said.

NO MA LINK

Hsiao dismissed speculation that Hsieh's visit was related to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) trip to Japan late last month.

Emphasizing the special historical relationship between Taiwan and Japan, Hsiao said Hsieh had planned to visit Japan in September, but had been forced to postpone the trip until this month because of health reasons.

Hsieh spent seven years in Kyoto and will return to his alma mater, Kyoto University, where he will deliver a speech on strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations.

UNEXPECTED

In other developments, DPP Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told reporters yesterday that the party had not expected such strong resistance from the opposition parties regarding the name change at National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall.

Cho said the reaction to the one-step voting system to be used in the legislative elections and the two referendums had also come as a surprise.

While both have stirred up much passion among DPP supporters, Cho said the controversies have blurred the aims of the party's campaign, which should focus on reclaiming the KMT's stolen assets.

The planned withdrawal of military guards from the mausoleums of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), would be one of the main focuses in the run-up to the elections, he said.
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