Taipei, May 10 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed gratitude to the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council for supporting Taiwan’s international participation, while Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) noted the interdependence between Taiwan and Japan, in video speeches at the council’s annual meeting on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Presidential Office on Thursday, Tsai thanked the council, a Taiwan-friendly group comprising of more than 280 Japanese parliamentarians across party lines, for its consistent support through annual resolutions endorsing Taiwan’s international engagement.
She added that the assistance and fundraising efforts from Japan’s parliament and civil society following Taiwan’s earthquake in April provided vital support for Taiwan’s post-disaster recovery.
Tsai also highlighted the council’s participation in significant events in Taiwan, such as the National Day celebrations and presidential elections, where delegations from the council visited Taiwan, demonstrating continuous interest in Taiwan’s political and economic development.
Regarding global challenges, Tsai expressed hope for deepening Taiwan-Japan partnerships to serve as democratic models regionally and globally, contributing to global prosperity and development.
Meanwhile, Lai highlighted the longstanding friendship of over half a century between the council and Taiwan, underscoring its crucial role in Taiwan-Japan relations.
He praised the council’s support for Taiwan’s international participation through annual resolutions and highlighted the significant progress in Taiwan-Japan relations during the pandemic, with mutual donations of medical supplies fostering goodwill and cooperation.
The vice president reflected on the immediate and extensive support from Japan following the earthquake in Hualien in April, which he said demonstrated the deepening ties and mutual assistance between Taiwan and Japan, and described as “exemplary” for international harmony.
In addition to facing natural disasters and pandemics together, Lai noted Taiwan and Japan’s partnership in advancing democratic values.
He highlighted recent affirmations of the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos during a trilateral summit in April.
Lai expressed gratitude on behalf of all Taiwanese people to democratic partners and envisioned expanding exchanges and cooperation with Japan and like-minded nations, aiming for continued mutual care, support, and growth to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
He said he looked forward to the inauguration ceremony on May 20, where he and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) would meet with council members in Taiwan.
Also at the meeting, the members passed several Taiwan-friendly resolutions for 2024, including establishing a research team to assist Taiwan in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and reaffirming strong support for Taiwan to join the World Health Organization as an observer.
The resolutions also aimed to further deepen Taiwan-Japan civil and economic relations by launching a “local exchange promotion group” and “women councilors’ exchange group.”
(By Wen Kuei-hsiang, Tai Ya-chen, Yang Ming-chu and Evelyn Yang)
Enditem/cs
