Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei.
Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added.
Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cho said, adding that such caring actions were deeply heartwarming to Taiwanese.
Taiwan-Japan collaborations in engineering have been fruitful overseas, including an MRT project in Jakarta and the North-South Commuter Railway project in the Philippines, Cho said.
Taiwan and Japan should expect more win-win collaborations, he said, adding that both sides should cooperate more closely in response to the new trade landscape formed amid global tariff impacts.
Aside from exchanges regarding industries, economy, culture and tourism, Taiwan and Japan are also devoted to maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.
Taiwan would take responsibility and demonstrate its ability to defend national sovereignty and security, he said.
Cho said he expects Taiwan to stand side by side with aligned countries across the world to fight together for freedom, democracy and human rights.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Deputy Representative Gen Kawai said that Taiwan is a geographical neighbor and a partner with common core values for Japan, adding that the strong bilateral bond has been forged through numerous face-to-face communications by people of both sides.
Taiwan and Japan face similar social and geographical challenges, including frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, scarce natural resources, low birthrates and aging societies, he said.
Engineers from both sides can contribute their knowledge and skills to jointly address such challenges, Kawai said, adding that he expects this year’s symposium to consolidate such mutually beneficial ties.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS