The Executive Yuan yesterday confirmed that it has appointed Shigeru Iwasaki, former chief of staff of the joint staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, as a consultant for one year, saying it welcomes any advice that could benefit Taiwan.
The Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun reported that Iwasaki is well-known and influential in Japan’s military and political spheres.
His appointment as a consultant represents Taiwan’s attempt to bolster security ties with Japan, the paper said, adding that the move could further stir China’s ire.
Photo: Toru Hanai, Reuters
Former Sankei Shimbun Taipei bureau chief Akio Yaita on Thursday wrote online that Iwasaki was visiting Taiwan at the Executive Yuan’s invitation and was hired as a consultant by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).
Yaita said he was unaware of any former Japanese military servicemembers serving as a consultant to Taiwan, adding that Iwasaki outranked Naosuke Tomita and Hiroshi Nemoto, the two highest-ranking former Japanese military officials to consult for Taiwan.
Tomita and Nemoto were part of the White Group, a team of Japanese military advisers to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) from 1949 to 1969.
The group, initially taking the name of Tomita’s chosen Chinese name, Pai Hung-liang (白鴻亮), was later condensed to just the word “Pai,” or “white,” to highlight the group’s role in assisting the Republic of China in fighting the Chinese Communist Party, which like other communist countries, favors the color red.
Iwasaki retired as a four-star general. Given his post as chief of staff of the joint staff, he was a top-ranking official in the Japanese military.
Tomita was a retired major general and Nemoto was a lieutenant general.
Yaita said the hiring of Iwasaki underscored unprecedentedly close Taiwan-Japan ties.
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