Vice President Chen calls for deepening of Taiwan-Japan ties
Chen Chien-jen (front), CNA file photo
Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) expressed the hope Wednesday that Japan and Taiwan will further promote bilateral exchanges in a bid to better mutual understanding and cooperation.
Speaking in a meeting with Japan's Chiba Prefecture Governor Kensaku Morita at the Presidential Office, Chen said that exchanges between Taiwan and Japan have increased remarkably in economic, cultural and tourism and other fields in recent years.
In addition to maintaining the existing friendly relations with Japan, President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) government has been seeking to further strengthen substantial exchanges between the two nations in every aspect since it took office in May, Chen noted,
Citing as evidences the appointments of former Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) as Taiwan's representative to Japan and former Secretary General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) of the National Security Council (NSC) as chairman of the Association of East Asian Relations, which handles relations with Japan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties, Chen said Tsai's administration has attached great importance to the development of Japan-Taiwan ties.
Chen also mentioned the fact that Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) led a cross-party parliamentary delegation to visit Japan earlier this month had further strengthened the parliamentary exchanges between the two nations.
The vice president also cited results of a survey conducted by the Taipei Office of the Interchange Association of Japan in July, which represents Japan's interests in Taiwan, to say that Japan is considered by Taiwanese as the most friendly and favorable nation, as well as the most attractive tourist destination for them. The number of Taiwanese tourists who have visited Japan has been increasing consistently in recent years, he added.
Chen suggested that Morita continue to encourage citizens of his prefecture to visit Taiwan for further promoting the bilateral exchanges.
(By Sophia Yeh and Romulo Huang)
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