President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday told a visiting Japanese parliamentarian delegation that Taiwan looks forward to working with Tokyo on efforts to maintain the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
In livestreamed remarks made ahead of a closed-door meeting with the delegation led by former Japanese minister of defense Shigeru Ishiba, Tsai said Taiwan would work with Japan and other democratic partners to contribute to the peace and stability of the region.
The security of Taiwan is important not only in terms of protecting the nation’s sovereignty, but also the defensively strategic “first island chain,” she said.
Photo: AP / Presidential Office
Ishiba, who arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday, said his four-day trip is aimed at fostering exchanges with Taiwanese officials on how the two nations should collaborate on security matters.
“We need to think ahead about what kind of situations could happen, what kind of laws and agreements we should prepare, and what kind of armaments we could use,” he said in prepared remarks. “We need to work together to reach consensus on this ahead of anything that could happen.”
Ishiba said that Japan is also working closely with the US to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, adding that the defense allies “had no choice” but to prepare.
The four-member delegation includes another former Japanese minister of defense, Yasukazu Hamada, as well as former deputy minister of defense Akihisa Nakashima and Takayuki Shimizu.
Taiwan said all four delegates are members of a Japanese parliamentarian association on security issues founded by Ishiba and Hamada in November 2019.
Ishiba, who served as defense minister from 2007 to 2008, said that Japan had responsibility for the stability of the Asia-Pacific region and that it was an issue that former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe had paid special attention to.
It was regrettable that the Abe — who died on July 8 — was unable to continue his work, Ishiba said, adding that he wished to carry on what was left unfinished by Abe and actively work on regional security affairs.
Additional reporting by AP
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old