The world has lost an important leader and Taiwan has lost a friend, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday after former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe died hours after he was shot while giving an election campaign speech.
“Not only has the international community lost an important leader, but Taiwan has also lost an important and close friend. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with the rule of law, and our government severely condemns violent and illegal acts,” Tsai said in a statement released by the Presidential Office.
Abe had spared no effort to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations and had been instrumental in convincing the Japanese government to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) quoted Tsai as saying.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Tsai has instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) to pay condolences to Abe’s family on behalf of the government, Chang said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan to issue formal condolences to the Japanese government on behalf of Taiwan.
Abe has been a great friend of Taiwan and spoke out for the nation on multiple occasions, such as urging other countries to adjust policies of “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan, instead saying that they would come to the nation’s defense, the ministry said.
Hsieh said that he and Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) only last week visited Abe to deliver an invitation to visit Taiwan later this month.
Hsieh said Abe had agreed to a visit. “I cannot believe that was my last meeting with him,” he added.
Abe’s passing was similar to a close family member passing away, Hsieh added.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also extended condolences to Abe’s family and strongly condemned violence, saying that acts contravening the basic principles of a democratic society and rule of law are unacceptable.
The KMT regrets that Japan has lost a capable leader and politician, it said in a statement, adding that it is saddened Taiwan has lost a good friend.
“Abe is forever Taiwan’s good friend,” KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said in a separate short video.
The New Power Party expressed condolences and said that Abe’s policies were friendly toward the US and Taiwan, while being decisively critical of China and North Korea.
Abe’s actions contributed to Japanese society becoming increasingly Taiwan-friendly, it said.
The Taiwan People’s Party offered condolences to Japan, calling Abe “Taiwan’s old friend.”
His passing will hopefully not affect Taiwan-Japan relations, it said, urging the two countries to continue maintaining a strong friendship.
Additional reporting by Reuters, Yang Cheng-yu and Wang Chien-hao
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS