The unexpected resignation of Japanese representative Saito Masaki dominated the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee meeting yesterday, with the pan-blues saying the resignation was overdue and the pan-greens lamenting the state of ties with Japan.
Saito was listed as persona non grata by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus soon after comments he made at the annual meeting of the Republic of China International Relations Association in May. Saito said at the time that Taiwan’s status remained “unresolved.”
The envoy later apologized and Tokyo said Saito’s comments were his own views and did not represent the Japanese government.
On Tuesday, Japan’s Interchange Association — Tokyo’s de facto embassy in Taiwan — confirmed that Saito had asked to leave his post for “personal reasons.” The office declined to say when he had tendered his resignation.
News of Saito’s resignation broke the same day that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) opened a new office in Sapporo that had been scheduled to open in October.
Speaking at the committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Lyu-hsun (沈呂巡) said Saito’s resignation would not affect Taiwan’s strong relationship with Japan, which he said was evident in the number of senior Japanese politicians who attended the opening ceremony in Sapporo.
But DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said he suspected the timing of Saito’s resignation demonstrated the Japanese foreign ministry’s desire not to offend the Taiwanese. Japan was using the Sapporo office to show its sincerity toward the Taiwanese, while Saito’s resignation was a warning to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) that Tokyo was concerned about his “China-friendly” policies.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Justin Chou (周守訓) said Saito should have stepped down immediately after making his “erroneous” remarks on Taiwan’s status. He urged MOFA to take a hard stance toward any foreign diplomats who belittle Taiwan.
Another KMT lawmaker, Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), said the DPP had blown the issue out of proportion. Chang said Tokyo was not trying to send any messages.
At a separate setting, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who had just returned from presiding over the Sapporo opening, suggested yesterday that he knew who Japan was considering for Saito’s post.
Wang told reporters at the legislature that the candidate was a senior diplomat who did not appear to have previous experience with Taiwan but was otherwise very experienced and competent.
The speaker did not name the diplomat by name.
Wang praised Saito for his contribution to ties during his time in Taipei.
“The improvement in Taiwan-Japan relations over the past year is evident. For example, we are going to open a direct air route between Taipei International Airport and Haneda Airport. This is a major breakthrough achieved during his term,” Wang said.
Wang said the government’s shunning Saito was nothing personal but a move to express Taiwan’s stance in response to Saito’s remarks.
The speaker said he hoped the relations between the two nations would continue to develop “healthily and normally” despite Saito’s resignation.
KMT Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) of the Foreign and National Defense Committee, rebutted media speculation that the Presidential Office was kept in the dark until Saito resigned. Chang said Japan’s Interchange Association told him that it, too, knew nothing about Saito’s resignation until the announcement.
Meanwhile, KMT lawmakers said MOFA should be more aggressive in urging Washington to expedite arms sales, especially the sale of Blackhawk helicopters to be used for rescue missions in case in natural disasters like last summer’s Typhoon Morakot.
The deputy minister did not elaborate except to reiterate American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt’s statement that the US has not rejected Taiwan’s requests for arms and that a delay is not a refusal.
Shen’s behavior at the legislature yesterday was far less explosive than two weeks ago, when he reported to the committee for the first time as deputy minister.
Shen was chided at the time by both camps for yelling and pounding on the table when asked about embezzlement allegations against him.
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