President Tsai receives JTEA Chairman Mitsuo Ohashi

2022/12/20

President Tsai Ing-wen received Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Mitsuo Ohashi at the Presidential Office Dec. 16 in Taipei City, pledging to continue cooperating in areas spanning national defense and security, economics and trade, and industrial transformation while advancing regional peace, prosperity and development.
 
According to the president, over the past few years partnership between Taiwan and Japan has been going from strength to strength. As an example, Tsai cited Japan’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan and the country’s delivery of face masks to the East Asian like-minded partner during the pandemic.
 
The two sides’ cooperation mechanisms have become increasingly diversified and multilateral, Tsai said, adding that the first workshop held in Tokyo by Taiwan, Japan, the U.S. and Australia under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework in October was an excellent example.
 
Momentum is also growing in Taiwan-Japan parliamentary diplomacy, Tsai said, citing visits from the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council to Taiwan in October; a Taiwan delegation led by Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun to Japan in November; and a group led by Japan’s House of Representatives member Koichi Hagiuda to attend the Taiwan-Japan Trade and Economic Sustainability Forum earlier this month.
 
The president also took the opportunity to thank Japan’s government for voicing support for Taiwan’s international participation and reiterating the importance of cross-strait peace and stability at various international venues. It is hoped that Japan will support Taiwan’s bid to take part in the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, she added.
 
In response, Ohashi praised Taiwan’s achievements in maintaining a high level of economic growth despite global challenges such as COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
 
Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are crucial to the security of Japan, the region and the international community, Ohashi said, adding that Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has emphasized this view during bilateral summits with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders.
 
Taiwan and Japan share values of freedom and democracy, Ohashi said and their relationship will always be strong.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)