Hopefully, Taiwan can help ease the tensions between Japan and China, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said yesterday as he set out on a four-day trip to Japan.
Taiwan and Japan maintain close ties in a very friendly relationship, Huang told reporters ahead of his departure at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) with a group of young TPP members.
Japan’s reliance on energy imports through the Taiwan Strait means it monitors events affecting the area carefully, while China has historical grievances and territorial disputes that are intensified by Taiwan-related issues, he said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Japan and China should tone down their rhetoric to avoid tensions escalating, and hopefully Taiwan could play a role in fostering harmony and balance rather than being a flashpoint, he said without elaborating.
Regional security is key to Taiwan’s own security, Huang said.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Nov. 7 said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival” that could potentially trigger a military response.
The comment angered China, which has taken a series of measures aimed at hurting Japan’s economy, including issuing advisories against travel and study in Japan, and suspending a resumption of Japanese seafood imports.
Asked whether former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had offered any advice for the Japan trip, Huang said that he and Ko discuss everything openly.
Ko believes regional stability is vital for Taiwan’s security and that all parties should engage in rational dialogue rather than inflaming tensions when conflicts arise between China and Japan, Huang added.
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