Akie Abe, the widow of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, yesterday arrived in Taiwan for a four-day friendship visit, during which she is to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and visit a Kaohsiung temple that houses a life-size bronze statue commemorating her late husband.
Akie Abe was accompanied by members of Japan’s House of Councillors Eriko Yamatani and Tsuneo Kitamura.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it sincerely welcomes Akie Abe, who is in Taiwan at the invitation of the Taiwan Friends of Abe Association.
Photo: CNA
Akie Abe’s proactive visit showcases the long-lasting friendship between the two countries, it said.
She was to attend a dinner banquet hosted by Vice President William Lai (賴清德) at the Grand Hotel in Taipei last night, where she was to meet with Japanese recipients of scholarships awarded by the association to study in Taiwan, the ministry said.
Today, she is to visit Hongmaogang Baoan Temple in Kaohsiung’s Fongshan District (鳳山) where a bronze statue of her late husband was erected.
The temple, which is the only place of worship in Taiwan that houses a skull believed to be that of a World War II Japanese naval officer, unveiled the bronze statue in September last year to commemorate Shinzo Abe.
Akie Abe is also to meet with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) at a lunch banquet before heading north to attend the Tainan leg of an exhibition featuring more than 100 photographs of her late husband.
Tomorrow Akie Abe is to pay her respects to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at New Taipei City’s Wuchihshan Military Cemetery, accompanied by Lee’s daughter Annie Lee (李安妮), the ministry said.
Lee and Shinzo Abe shared a mutual bond and sought to cultivate a positive relationship between Taiwan and Japan.
Akie Abe is to meet with Tsai and Lai tomorrow before leaving Taiwan on Thursday.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS