The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday downplayed Japanese media reports that Tokyo is not planning to establish a new negotiation platform with Taiwan on the “comfort women” issue, saying the ministry would continue to communicate with its Japanese counterpart.
Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR) Secretary-General Chang Jen-joe (張仁久) told a morning news conference that Taipei’s communications with Tokyo on the issue is ongoing.
“Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達) exchanged opinions with the Interchange Association, Japan Chief Representative Mikio Numata on the matter on Monday. On the same day, Representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳) met with Interchange Association, Japan President Tadashi Imai,” Chang said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Linghu and Shen reiterated the government’s demands for an apology, compensation and the restoration of dignity that Taiwan’s former comfort women deserve, Chang said.
Chang dismissed a Kyodo News report on Monday that cited a high-level Japanese official as saying that Tokyo has no intention of launching new talks with Taiwan over the issue.
It also reported that Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo does not intend to take similar steps over comfort women with nations and regions other than South Korea, with which Tokyo recently struck a landmark deal to resolve the dispute.
“In the report, Suga was only quoted as saying that the Japanese and South Korean governments have made maximum efforts [to resolve the issue, while the remarks of the unidentified official are rather equivocal,” Chang said.
Noting that Japan and South Korea established a ministerial-level communication platform last year, Chang said that since Taipei and Tokyo have been exchanging opinions through the AEAR and the Interchange Association, there was no need for a new platform.
A working group met at the ministry yesterday afternoon to discuss the comfort women issue, one day earlier than planned.
Presided over by Linghu, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, the ministries of education, culture and health and welfare, the Executive Yuan’s Gender Equality Committee and the Taipei City Government.
The participants agreed on four demands: Japan issue a formal apology to Taiwan’s former comfort women, offer them compensation, restore their dignity and reputation, and take care of them.
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