President Tsai welcomes Japanese cross-party delegation

2023/07/05

President Tsai Ing-wen received an 11-member Japanese delegation comprising lawmakers from three opposition parties July 3 in Taipei City.

The Japanese delegation consists of members from the Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan Restoration Party and Democratic Party for the People. The group met with Tsai, accompanied by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Izumi Hiroyasu, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo and other officials.

Tsai voiced hopes that the visiting lawmakers will also lobby other parliamentary colleagues to support Taiwan’s bid for entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The president also expressed gratitude for Japan’s support of Taiwan’s entry to WHO at this year’s WHA.

Delegation leader, Maehara Seiji, former foreign minister and current member of the House of Representatives, expressed his hope of further deepening ties with Taiwan, citing shared universal values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. He added that Japan will support Taiwan in maintaining the cross-strait status quo and its opposition to China’s threatened use of force.

Maehara said that the three opposition parties all endorse Taiwan’s entry into WHO and will assist Taiwan in applying for inclusion in the CPTPP. He added that Japan opposes authoritarian countries’ coercion of democratic nations and supports international collaboration to sustain regional peace and stability.


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