Mutual visits between Taiwan and Japan reached a record-high 8.213 million last year, with visits by members of Japan’s ruling and opposition parties also setting a new record at 120, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association said yesterday.
Mutual visits have steadily increased after the COVID-19 pandemic, displaying the vibrant interactions and exchanges between the two nations across various sectors, including tourism, said Lin Yu-hui (林郁慧), deputy secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ affiliated agency.
Japanese lawmakers made more than 120 visits last year, demonstrating how much they value and support Taiwan, she added.
Photo: Taipei Times
On trade and investment, Japan was Taiwan’s fourth-largest trade partner and a major source of foreign investment and technical expertise, while Taiwan was Japan’s third-largest trade partner last year, Lin said.
“Last year, bilateral trade totaled more than US$84.85 billion and bilateral investment reached more than US$3.031 billion, also demonstrating the close and friendly economic and trade exchanges between the two sides,” she said.
Asked about Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun’s (郭嘉昆) comments about Premier Cho Jung-tai’s (卓榮泰) visit to Japan, Lin said the visit showed the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
Cho on Saturday flew to Tokyo to cheer for Taiwan’s national team at a World Baseball Classic game.
Asked about the trip, Guo told a news briefing in Beijing on Monday that it was “sneaky and shameful behavior that is beneath contempt.”
Cho “harbored sinister motives” and “sneaked into Japan to engage in surreptitious ‘independence’ provocations,” he said.
Beijing resolutely opposes Japan’s attempts to play “edge ball” or seek breakthroughs on the Taiwan issue, Guo said.
Japan must bear all the consequences for indulging provocative and reckless behavior, he said, adding that China would continue to unwaveringly strike “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and resolutely oppose interference in the Taiwan issue by external forces.
Dismissing Guo’s comments, Lin said: “Taiwan and Japan are close neighbors whose people share a deep friendship. Both sides belong to the camp of free and democratic nations, sharing core values, including freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
“We maintain close and friendly cooperative relations across all fields, serving as important partners and precious friends to one another, as well as a force for good in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has long supported Taiwan, while her Cabinet is also very Taiwan-friendly, including Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi, who have both openly expressed wishes to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan, Lin said.
“Steadily advancing Taiwan-Japan relations is the Japanese government’s basic stance and a social consensus,” she added.
The ministry is looking forward to the continuous expansion of exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Japan across various fields, and upholding the “integrated diplomacy” concept, and the ministry will continue to work closely with Japan to deepen a comprehensive partnership based on mutual benefit, Lin said.
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