Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Japanese political circles were pleased to see the party back on its feet, at the conclusion of her four-day visit to Japan.
Speaking with reporters at Taoyuan Airport, Tsai said Japanese politicians were paying great attention to Taiwanese politics and were happy to see the DPP bounce back.
The revival of the DPP is viewed by Japanese as an indication of Taiwan’s democracy, she said.
Tsai said Japan was very concerned about security in the Taiwan Strait, adding that she was able to exchange views on the China issue with several prominent figures.
During the trip, Tsai met several former Japanese prime ministers and key players from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Tsai was quoted as saying that the selection of Japan as her first and only foreign destination after the Dec. 5 local elections highlighted the high respect the DPP has for Taiwans’ neighbor to the north.
Meanwhile, outgoing Japanese representative to Taiwan Masaki Saito last night hosted his last event before heading home following his resignation two weeks ago.
The seasoned diplomat was listed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) as “persona non grata” after he said Taiwan’s status remained “undetermined” at an academic function in May.
The Japanese Interchange Association said Saito was quitting for “personal reasons,” but it has been widely rumored that the Taiwanese and Japanese governments were happy to see him go because he had become a defunct diplomat after his controversial remarks.
At the reception, Saito said in Mandarin that this past year marked many important milestones in Taiwan-Japan ties, such as the agreement on the youth working holiday program and the signing of air pact that will allow direct flights from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Taipei Songshan Airport starting in October.
Foreign Minister Timothy Yang (楊進添) touted the relationship and promised to strengthen ties for the mutual benefit of both people.
Saito will end his 17-month stint on Sunday.
He will be succeeded by Tadashi Imai, Japan’s former ambassador to Malaysia and Israel.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
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