Former representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) assumed the chairmanship of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (TJRA) yesterday, succeeding Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) in leading the body responsible for representing Taipei’s interests in Tokyo in the absence of diplomatic ties.
Hsieh, 79, said he was honored to be taking over the role after serving as Taiwan’s representative to Japan for eight years (2016 to 2024), adding that his goal is to bring the cordial relationship between the two nations to a new pinnacle.
In a Facebook post, Hsieh expressed his gratitude to Su and other association members for their contributions to the bilateral relations over the past three years.
Photo: Lin Tsuei-yi, Taipei Times
"I am dedicated to moving forward and elevating the Taiwan-Japan friendship into a partnership defined by a shared sense of community, fostering peace and prosperity," he wrote.
According to J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), an association member and former minister of economic affairs, Hsieh was selected as the next chairman yesterday, which was followed by an official handover ceremony.
The TJRA was established in 1972 shortly after Japan severed diplomatic ties with the Taiwan.
It serves as a semi-official body overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to manage relations with Japan, operating alongside its Japanese counterpart, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS