Japan’s representative to Taiwan Masaki Saito, who recently resigned over remarks he made that the country’s status was undetermined, will have a final meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Dec. 14 before he is scheduled to return to Japan on Dec. 20, a lawmaker said yesterday.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) told reporters about the meeting after attending a banquet hosted by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) for a group of Japanese visitors led by Tamisuke Watanuki, the former speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives.
Saito was also present at the banquet, which was closed to the media, but refused to comment on his resignation.
PHOTO: CNA
Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進), a senior advisor of the Presidential Office’s National Security Council, told reporters that Saito’s successor is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The lack of official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan means Tokyo is not obliged to inform the government of its new representative in advance, Lee Chia-chin said.
“Saito has made many contributions to Taiwan-Japan relationships over the past year, but there were some misunderstandings that were not clarified, which led to [Saito’s resignation],” Lee Hung-chun said.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Republic of China International Relations Association in May, Saito said Taiwan’s status was “still unresolved.”
The envoy later apologized for his remarks and Tokyo said Saito’s comments were his own views and did not represent those of the Japanese government, but Saito has been given the cold shoulder by the Ma administration since making the comments.
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