Saying he will seek Japan's support for an independent Taiwan, the once-blacklisted former dissident Koh Se-kai (許世楷) flew to Tokyo to take up his new job as Taiwan's top representative to Japan yesterday.
"My other aim is to normalize relations between these two neighbors," Koh said before his departure.
Yesterday, the outgoing representative Lo Fu-cheng (羅福全), left his post to take the helm of the Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR, 亞東關係協會), which is the Taiwan headquarters of Taiwan's de facto embassy in Japan.
PHOTO: TONY YAO, LIBERTY TIMES
To strike a balance between Japan's pro-China policy and Taiwan's appeal for independence will be no easy task, but Koh appeared upbeat.
"Although Japan might not be able to recognize Taiwan openly, it cannot deny Taiwan's existence. One country on each side of the Taiwan Strait is a self-evident fact," Koh said in an interview with the Taipei Times following the AEAR's closed-door board meeting.
According to Koh, there is an invisible alliance between Taiwan and Japan.
"The US is mandated to come to Taiwan's defense under the Taiwan Relations Act, while Japan is also obliged to maintain regional security under the US-Japan Defense Guidelines. The two agreements weave a web of common interest shared by the US, Taiwan, and Japan," Koh said.
For Koh, formality is a side issue and adroit diplomacy can circumvent unnecessary rows over Taiwan's changing status.
"For example, we will not ask for an outright change to the [Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan's] name. But we will gradually move to have our name legitimized," Koh said.
The new AEAR chief, Lo, also painted a rosy picture of Taiwan-Japan relations.
"Not everyone in the Koizumi government is staunch supporter of the `one China' policy. Japan was actually delighted to see President Chen Shui-bian (
The former top representative to Japan also said that the overlap between Japan's and Taiwan's national interests has become larger. Lo's experience in diplomacy taught him that where there is an overlap of national interests, there is space for diplomatic leverage.
"There is a lot we can do," Lo said.
According to Lo, despite the lack of official ties between the two nations, mutual exchanges have been frequent and diversified.
"In academic circles, the University of Tokyo and Waseda University have set up Taiwan Studies programs to enhance Japan's understanding of Taiwan. Taiwan also attracted around 1.8 million to 2 million tourists from Japan this year, [an increase from 650,000 last year]," Lo said.
Taking the helm of AEAR from the hands of Hsu Shui-teh (許水德), the former president of the Examination Yuan, Lo said he will continue to promote mutual understanding between Japan and Taiwan in another arena.
Founded in 1972, the AEAR has sought to mend Japan-Taiwan relations after Japan severed its ties with Taiwan. For more than 30 years, the AEAR has served as Taiwan's single channel of communication with Japan. Many personalities have headed the private organization with government support, such as former secretary-general of National Security Council Chuang Ming-yao, (莊銘耀) and former national policy adviser to the president Lin Chin-ching (林金莖).
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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