Taiwan is to donate ￥60 million (US$416,102) to Japan for earthquake rescue and relief efforts, and is to open disaster relief accounts to receive donations starting today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula of Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday afternoon, followed by multiple aftershocks.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) announced the donation to assist the Japanese government in its rescue and post-disaster reconstruction work in the hope that the people affected would be able to return to normal life as soon as possible.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
“A Japan contingency is a Taiwan contingency,” Wu said, echoing former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s statement that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency.”
Taiwan and Japan always lend a helping hand to each other when the other is in need, just like a family, he said.
Taiwanese will always remember the friendliness of Japan, which dispatched rescue specialists to assist in search-and-rescue operations after major earthquakes shook Tainan and Hualien a few years ago, and donated about 4.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, he said.
The Cabinet has asked the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish disaster relief accounts to receive donations from people at home and abroad, he said.
MOFA’s offices in Japan are to maintain contact with Japanese authorities to provide further assistance and discuss the uses of the donations, he added.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama expressed deep gratitude for the warmth and kindness of Taiwanese toward Japan.
When faced with difficulties, “it is indeed reassuring and encouraging to have real friends by your side who lend a helping hand,” he said. “Thank you, Taiwan.”
Those who wish to donate cash can make a deposit to the Bank of Taiwan account No. 003001727277, using online banking, an ATM or counter services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.
Alternatively, a central bank Treasury Department account (270750) is accepting donations, which can only be made at a bank counter in person; along with a dedicated post office account (50269506) that receives donations in transfers via ATM or through post offices.
The accounts are named “Ministry of Health and Welfare Disaster Relief Account” (衛生福利部賑災專戶), it said.
Donations can also be made to the “Japan Noto Peninsula Earthquake Relief Program” (日本能登半島震災專案) at kiosks including 7-Eleven’s ibon, FamilyMart’s FamiPort, Hi-Life’s Life-ET or OK Mart’s OK Go, it said.
Overseas donations can be made to a dedicated Mega International Commercial Bank account (00709118680, SWIFT code: ICBCTWTP007) with the use specified as “Japan Earthquake Project,” it said.
To receive a receipt, donors should provide their name, phone number and address on the transfer slip and fax it to (02) 8590-6065, it said.
Donations are to be received until Jan. 19, it said.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
LEISURE: The new law adds Confucius’ birthday, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou, Constitution Day and Little New Year as national holidays The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed new legislation adding four national holidays and making Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party used their combined majority in the legislature to push the jointly proposed draft through its third and final reading. This new law supersedes the existing regulations for the implementation of memorial days and state holidays, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior. The new law recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25 and “Little New Year,”
RSS