Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) today confirmed that he visited Japan last month, adding that China's "backlash" over the trip would not affect the cordial relations between Taipei and Tokyo.
It was the first time Lin had publicly acknowledged the reported trip. While this was not the first visit to Japan by a Taiwanese top diplomat, such trips are rarely disclosed due to the absence of official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan.
Asked by reporters in Taipei today about the visit, Lin said Taiwan is "making friends with countries around the world."
Photo: Wang I-sung, Taipei Times
"Given Taiwan and Japan's cordial relations, it is only natural that while in Japan, I visited Expo 2025 Osaka and met with Japanese friends," he told reporters on the sideline of a Legislative session.
Regarding China's response, Lin said it was not expected to impact Taiwan-Japan ties.
The visit was first revealed last month by veteran Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya, a longtime supporter of Taiwan.
In a Facebook post on July 25, Furuya — a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and chair of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, which promotes bilateral ties in Japan's Diet — said he had met with Lin and Sanae Takaichi, a former minister for economic security, among others.
Furuya also posted a group photo taken with Lin and Taiwan's representative to Japan, Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) later said that Lin's visit was made in a private capacity.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, reacted strongly to the trip, postponing a Japan-China agricultural ministers' meeting originally set to take place in Tokyo on Aug. 11.
Beijing also lodged a protest with Tokyo, accusing Japan of "providing a stage for anti-China separatist activities" and "sending the wrong message."
Local media reported that, in addition to visiting the Osaka Expo site, Lin also went to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan in Tokyo, which serves as Taiwan's de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
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
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
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