Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday confirmed he would be appointed representative to Japan, adding that his mission would be to enhance cooperation between the two countries, but that he would not form any anti-China alliance with Japan.
Although it has long been an “open secret” among political circles and the media, Hsieh officially confirmed the appointment in an exclusive interview with the Nikkei Shimbun published yesterday.
In the interview with the Japanese newspaper, Hsieh said the appointment was significant for two reasons: First, it shows that president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) attaches great importance to the relationship between the two countries; and second, appointing a nonprofessional diplomat means that Tsai does not expect many problems between Taiwan and Japan.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
He said in the interview that the incoming government hopes to make Taiwan a buffer zone between Japan and China, adding that the new government “would neither form an alliance with China against Japan nor form an alliance with Japan against China.”
Separately yesterday, Hsieh, in response to media queries, said that although there are disputes between Taiwan and Japan, the two nations should solve the problems without jeopardizing friendly relations.
“As to the dispute over sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), I would say that the Diaoyutais belong to Taiwan, but the point is to solve the fishing issue for our fishermen, because they are disadvantaged and should not be sacrificed for political interests,” Hsieh said.
“That is why we eventually signed a fishing agreement with Japan,” he said.
Asked to comment on Japan’s recent seizure of Taiwanese fishermen near the Okinotori atoll in the Pacific Ocean, Hsieh said that both the executive and the legislative branches have handled it well.
“Premier Simon Chang (張善政) spoke about it, as did Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), while Japan soon released the fishermen,” Hsieh said.
“Now we should look at the fishing agreement we signed to see what we could improve to better take care of fishermen,” he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.