If Taro Aso, secretary-general of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, were to become the next Japanese prime minister, relations between Taipei and Tokyo could improve even further, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday.
Wang, who has met Aso on numerous occasions, said that Aso was a politician with a global vision.
Wang said relations between Taiwan and Japan would benefit if Aso became prime minister, given Aso’s friendship with and long-term support for Taipei.
“Relations between Taipei and Tokyo are at a climax right now, but we believe more breakthroughs can be made,” he said when asked by reporters for comments.
NEGOTIATIONS
Wang said Taiwan and Japan were close in terms of trade and tourism, but they were still engaged in negotiations over fishing rights in the disputed Diaoyutai (釣魚台) islands.
Wang said he believed Aso could successfully handle negotiations over the matter while keeping regional stability in mind, even if he is generally considered hawkish on foreign relations.
Aso became a possible successor after Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, in a hastily arranged evening news conference on Monday night, said he was stepping down to avoid a “vacuum” as the deeply troubled government heads into a special session in the politically split parliament.
DEMISE
Fukuda suffered from persistently low support ratings as he presided over a split parliament. One poll published on Monday showed his support rating at 29 percent, down sharply over the past month.
Aso was seen as the most apparent heir to Fukuda as the former was recently installed by Fukuda as secretary-general of the ruling party.
Wang met several major Japanese political figures, including Aso, when he traveled to Japan on Aug. 7 on behalf of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
During the meetings, Wang reaffirmed Ma’s promise to improve relations with Tokyo.
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