Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said on Friday in Osaka that he agreed with the idea of Japan enacting its own version of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), but that he understood it would be very difficult for Japan to do.
Lee expressed his views on several topics at a press conference after arriving in Osaka earlier on Friday for a week-long private visit to Japan, his sixth such trip in 14 years, according to the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, which helped organize the trip.
Asked by Japanese media about what a Japanese version of the Taiwan Relations Act would entail, Lee did not offer a substantive answer, but said that Taiwan’s relationship with Japan is special and different from its relationship with other countries and that he supported the idea advocated by the association.
However, Lee said that it would be difficult to promote a Japanese version of the Taiwan Relations Act because Japanese are split over whether Taiwan or China is more important to them.
Instituting a Japanese version of the Taiwan Relations Act would also be unlikely to bring significant economic benefits to Taiwan, Lee said, adding that currently, the most important thing was how to improve the friendship between the people of the two countries.
The Taiwan Relations Act requires the US to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and help in matters of national defense.
Lee was also asked if the promise by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to remove the ban on the use of collective self-defense rights was related to the Taiwan Relations Act idea, but Lee answered that it was not.
Abe’s unprecedented push for the right to collective self-defense has drawn the attention of many regional neighbors, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and India, which have become more interested in forging close ties with Japan after China’s aggressive moves over disputed territories.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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