Presidential Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has expressed the hope that Taiwan and Japan could cooperate more closely in a conversation with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker and former Japanese minister of internal affairs and communications Sanae Takaichi, who is vying to become her nation’s first female prime minister.
In a videoconference on Monday, Tsai said mutual assistance between Taiwan and Japan is critical to regional stability, and she hoped for closer bilateral cooperation in several areas, including regional security, economic development and global supply chains.
Takaichi has declared her candidacy in the ruling LDP’s election for party president on Wednesday next week that would likely determine the nation’s next prime minister.
Photo copied by Lin Tsui-yi, Taipei Times
Takaichi has been described by the Japan Times as “a favorite of conservatives, with hawkish views on defense and diplomacy.”
Tsai also thanked Takaichi for Japan’s donations of COVID-19 vaccines, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) statement about the 30-minute conversation said.
Takaichi wrote on Twitter that she had a virtual dialogue with “Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen” on Monday evening, which proceeded smoothly with the help of translators.
Tsai is the DPP chairperson.
The Japanese lawmaker said that she was eager to hold the meeting to discuss how to deepen security ties and expand pragmatic exchanges between Japan and Taiwan.
Takaichi on Twitter posted a picture of the Japanese and Taiwanese national flags hanging on the wall of the venue where she held the online meeting with Tsai.
She said she expected the entire conversation to be posted on YouTube.
Japan donated more than 3.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan between June 4 and Sept. 7, and pledged to donate an additional 500,000 doses on Tuesday last week.
It has donated more vaccine doses to Taiwan than any other nation.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS