A cross-party group of pro-Taiwan Japanese announced it will send a delegation to Taiwan for the May 20 inauguration of Lai Ching-te as the island’s new president.
The delegation comprised of more than 30 people will be the largest ever for a presidential inauguration, according to the May 9 announcement at the group’s general meeting in Tokyo.
Lai, the current vice president of Taiwan, sent a video message to the meeting, saying that Taiwan and Japan are in the same boat, sharing the destiny of life and death. He stressed that Taiwan’s emergency is Japan’s emergency, and vice versa.
“Our biggest role is to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan as well as the United States and other countries that share the same values,” said the group’s head, Keiji Furuya, who is from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Hsieh Chang-ting, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, also attended the meeting.
The delegation will visit Taiwan from May 18 to 20. Arrangements are being made for meetings with Lai, outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen and legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu.
Group members also agreed to hold an in-person meeting of scientists from Japan, Taiwan and the United States at the earliest possible opportunity.
Additionally, the group donated 1 million yen ($6,400) for victims of the earthquake that struck Taiwan in April.
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