Taiwan will closely monitor Chinese leader Hu Jintao’s (胡錦濤) upcoming visit to Japan, said the nation’s representative to Tokyo yesterday, adding that president-elect Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) request to visit Japan prior to his inauguration next month is unlikely to happen.
In his report to the legislature, representative Koh Se-kai (許世楷) said Taiwan would keep a close tab on Hu’s trip to Japan from May 6 to May 11 to ascertain whether Taiwan’s status is mentioned during the visit.
Koh, a leading authority on Japanese politics, said China has been asking Japan to sign a fourth communique; stating that Japan agrees Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China, which Tokyo has long refused to do.
Since Japan and Taiwan severed formal ties more than 30 years ago, Japan has never stated they support the “one China” policy. The Japanese position is that they “acknowledge” and “respect” China’s position on the issue of Taiwan, Koh said.
He added that on several occasions, top ranking Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda last December, have publicly repeated that in Japan, the phrase “not support” and “oppose” have vastly different meanings.
On the issue of Taiwan’s bid to become a full member of the UN and its subsidiaries under the name “Taiwan,” Tokyo has always stated that it “does not support” but never that it “opposes” such moves, Fukuda said at a press conference during his trip to China in December.
When asked about the possibility of Ma visiting Japan prior to his May 20 inauguration, Koh said such a trip was unlikely to happen because the dates are too close to the time of Hu’s visit.
Some Japanese politicians and academics have reportedly been worried about Taiwan-Japan relations under Ma’s leadership because of the KMT’s past anti-Japanese sentiment.
Ma tried to assuage those fears by publicly touting Taiwan-Japan ties and even expressed his wish to visit Japan prior taking office.
“When the Japanese tell me about their worries about bilateral ties under Ma’s administration, I tell them that some people in Taiwan are also worried about warming relations between China and Japan,” Koh said.
The representative, however, offered assurances that despite Japan’s own unstable political climate, Taiwan-Japan ties should continue to remain strong and friendly.
So far 30 Japanese dignitaries, including retired officials, incumbent government leaders and those from cultural circles have been invited to Ma’s inauguration ceremony.
The incumbent Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who is known for his Taiwan-friendly stance, will most likely be part of the delegation, Koh said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday expressed “shock and regret” over a statement issued by his wife without his consent, and rejected her assertion that his eldest sister, Ma Yi-nan (馬以南), would manage his medical care or act as his spokesperson amid an ongoing embezzlement probe into his foundation. Ma Ying-jeou in a statement said he was shocked by a statement by his wife, Chou Mei-ching (周美青), regarding his affairs. Ma Yi-nan “must not” be in charge of his healthcare and other personal affairs, nor can she be allowed to represent the Ma family, the former president said. He said he was also
RSS