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.
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