President William Lai (賴清德) today called for greater mutual aid between Taiwan and Japan in a post commemorating the 15th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, saying that “true friendship reveals itself in hardship.”
The magnitude 9 earthquake, the largest ever recorded in Japan, and the ensuing tsunami left 18,500 people dead or unaccounted for, and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
It was the world's worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
Photo: Jiji Press via AFP
Japan and Taiwan share a close bond built on mutual aid and trust, Lai said on Facebook, adding that he hopes they would continue to help each other through times of disaster.
Both nations lie along fault lines prone to earthquakes, and share deep historical ties, he said.
The two sides should expand cooperation in disaster prevention, humanitarian assistance and social resilience, enabling both to remain trusted and important partners to each other, he said.
Taiwan would remember those who lost their lives in the 2011 quake and learn the lessons of history, while Japan would never forget that Taiwan showed up to help at the first sign of crisis, he said.
Regardless of political affiliation, Taiwanese donated what they could and contributed their efforts wherever possible, he added.
Government and civilian search-and-rescue teams assembled and departed for Japan within 72 hours, he said.
Similarly, Japan has come to Taiwan’s aid during natural disasters such as the 921 Earthquake in 1999 and Typhoon Morakot in 2009, dispatching its own search-and-rescue teams, Lai said.
Lai said he would “never forget” that when a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Tainan in 2016, Japan sent a preliminary assessment team that arrived at the site in just 14 hours to assist with relief efforts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan also donated supplies, funds and vaccines to Taiwan, he added.
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