President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday met the new Japanese representative to Taiwan, Tadashi Imai, and expressed the hope that Taipei and Tokyo could sign a free-trade agreement (FTA).
Imai's predecessor, Masaki Saito, resigned following controversy over remarks he made last May.
The Ma administration shut Saito out of high-level political contact after he said Taiwan's status was “undetermined” after Japan relinquished its control over the island following defeat in World War II.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a protest, and Saito later apologized for his remark, saying he had been expressing a personal opinion and his comment did not reflect the position of the Japanese government.
He resigned in December and was succeeded by Imai, Japan's former ambassador to Malaysia and Israel.
Ma yesterday praised Saito for “making a big contribution” during his 17-month stint and described Imai as a “seasoned and outstanding diplomat.”
Dismissing criticism that his administration paid less attention to Japan than the former Democratic Progressive Party administration, Ma said he had always attached great importance to relations with Japan.
“We designated last year as the first year of our special partnership with Japan,” he said. “This year, we will continue to push bilateral exchanges under that view.”
Ma said relations with Tokyo had made significant progress in the past year, including the opening of a trade and cultural office in Sapporo and an agreement to start direct flights between Taipei International Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport this October.
Ma said he would be happy to see the National Palace Museum send exhibits to Japan, but he hoped the Japanese government would amend its laws to ensure the safety of the national treasures first.
He also expressed the hope to see Taipei and Tokyo discuss an FTA, adding that Japan is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner and Taiwan is Japan's fourth-largest trading partner.
Ma said progress in Taiwanese-Japanese relations was a result of his foreign policy, which he described as “balanced” and “peaceful.”
At a different setting yesterday afternoon, Ma said the US government, whether it be Republican or Democrat, had a consistent policy concerning Taiwan's security.
Ma made the remarks during a meeting with Randall Schriver, former US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, at the Presidential Office.
Ma said despite closer ties with China, Taiwan still requires the assistance of the US, and that defensive weaponry would boost Taiwanese confidence and sense of security.
“As we will have more complicated interactions and negotiations with the mainland, such a sense of security and confidence is indispensable,” he said.
“The direction of Taiwan-US relations is correct, mutual trust is stable and interactions are frequent,” he said.
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