Japan’s Sankei Shimbun yesterday published an article by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) commemorating the life of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose state funeral is to take place today.
Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in modern Japanese history, was fatally shot at close range during a campaign rally in Nara on July 8. He was 67.
The best way to commemorate Abe would be for democratic nations to unite and “safeguard the shared value of freedom and democracy,” Wu wrote.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Abe was not afraid of attacks from China, as he repeatedly showed “sincere care and firm support for Taiwan as Japanese prime minister,” which made his passing painful for Taiwanese, he wrote.
Taiwanese would always remember Abe’s remark that “a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency,” as well as his concern and prompt assistance when natural disasters struck Taiwan, he added.
Former legislative speakers Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday departed for Japan to attend Abe’s funeral. They are to be accompanied by Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) at the ceremony at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
The delegation would offer condolences on behalf of the Taiwanese authorities and citizens, and convey the message that Taiwan would “continue to walk side by side with Japan” to “defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Presidential Office said on Sept. 15.
In related news, US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Japan as the head of a US delegation to attend Abe’s funeral.
In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo yesterday, Harris reaffirmed the US’ commitment to Japan’s defense.
They also condemned China’s actions in the Taiwan Strait.
“They discussed the People’s Republic of China’s recent aggressive and irresponsible provocations in the Taiwan Strait, and reaffirmed the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the White House said in a statement.
Harris also discussed North Korea’s recent ballistic missile test with Kishida, as well as the importance of resolving the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, the statement said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source