People Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) met on a recent trip to Japan expressed their concern about the Hualien County flooding disaster and wished the victims a speedy recovery, he said upon his return to Taiwan yesterday.
Torrential rain brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa on Tuesday last week caused the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake to burst, flooding Hualien's Guangfu Township (光復).
Japanese from different walks of life and Taiwanese living in the country brought up Hualien as soon as they met him, Han said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
They all expressed their condolences and sympathy for the victims, Han told reporters after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
"You're not alone," Han said to those in Hualien affected by the disaster, adding that people at home and abroad care about them and hope they recover soon.
Han's visit to Japan began on Thursday last week. He was leading a cross-party delegation of lawmakers who met with key political figures, including Keiji Furuya, head of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, and former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, who is a senior advisor to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The delegation also met former Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda, now leader of Japan's largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, as well as leaders of Japan's three other opposition parties, Han said.
Han called the trip "fruitful" in bolstering parliamentary ties and highlighted the delegation's visit to Taiwan's pavilions at the World Expo in Osaka.
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