Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe called for closer Japan-Taiwan ties by overcoming diplomatic and professional barriers in his first videoconference with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday night.
Tsai said there are many opportunities for the two nations to collaborate, as Taiwan strives for common goals with like-minded countries such as Japan and the US.
The two also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office via CNA
The Presidential Office said the bilateral talk last nearly 30 minutes and was part of an annual meeting of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, a cross-party Japanese parliamentary group comprising about 270 members.
At the beginning of their discussion, a full video of which was released by the Presidential Office yesterday, Tsai said she was delighted to meet with Abe virtually as they used to only talk by telephone.
The president thanked Japan for donating vaccines to Taiwan last year during a local outbreak of COVID-19.
Abe thanked Taiwan for its help after a massive earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, and for donating medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tsai said that Taiwan had followed the lead of other countries in allowing the importation of food products banned following the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, showing its determination to remove trade barriers between the two countries.
Taiwan and Japan should join hands to bolster the economic power of the Indo-Pacific region, as economic growth is crucial to a nation’s stability, she added.
Regarding Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Abe said he hoped that Taiwan would meet its high standards and join the bloc soon.
The CPTPP was established by Japan with 10 other countries when Abe was prime minister and is expanding by adding new members.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Tsai said that Taiwan had imposed sanctions against Russia and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding that Taiwan would stand side-by-side with Ukraine, and uphold the values of democracy and freedom.
Abe said Russia’s invasion was a serious challenge to the international order, adding that Japan should cooperate with other countries in pressuring Moscow into a ceasefire and withdrawal.
Echoing Abe’s comments, Tsai condemned Russia for unilaterally changing the “status quo” and infringing on the rights of a democratic country, which must not be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region.
Tsai also thanked Japan for emphasizing the importance of stability across the Taiwan Strait at international events, saying that she hoped the two sides can maintain peace in the region.
Abe advocated for a free and open Indo-Pacific region, whose “status quo” is protected by international law and not altered by military force.
“It is important for Japan and Taiwan to share intelligence to keep the region stable,” Abe said.
Abe expressed his hope to visit Taiwan soon to exchange ideas with the president, who said she looked forward to greeting him in person.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS