Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) yesterday thanked the Japanese public for "understanding the differences between Taiwanese and Chinese people" following official comments rejecting the term "Taiwan Province."
Lee, posting via the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan’s X account, cited recent survey data showing 74.5 percent of Japanese respondents feel an affinity toward Taiwan, while a 2024 poll found 89 percent hold negative views of China.
"We sincerely appreciate that Japanese people do not conflate Taiwan with China," he wrote.
Photo: CNA
His remarks followed a Wednesday post by the office stating, "Taiwan is Taiwan, not Taiwan Province."
As of last night, that post attracted 2.9 million views, about 91,000 likes, and nearly 1,000 comments, with many Japanese users expressing support.
The message was seen as a response to a post on X by Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao (吳江浩) on Tuesday, which stated that "people from all sectors in Taiwan Province are demanding that Sanae Takaichi apologize for her erroneous remarks," while sharing a news clip by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV carrying the same headline.
The "erroneous remarks" referred to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s Nov. 7 statement in parliament that a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
"If warships are used and armed actions are involved, I think it may count," she was quoted as saying, adding the government would judge such situations case by case.
Under Japan’s security laws, such a scenario enables the use of "collective self-defense" if an attack on the United States or another closely related country is deemed to threaten Japan’s survival, even without a direct attack on Japan.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS