President Tsai Ing-wen (???) met with Ohashi Mitsuo, chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, in Taipei on Friday, expressing hope that Taiwan and Japan can advance cooperation on national security as well as economic and trade affairs, according to the Presidential Office.
During their meeting, Tsai indicated that relations between Taiwan and Japan have been further strengthened over the past few years and bilateral cooperation has become more diverse and multifaceted, according to a press release.
Tsai mentioned that in October, Taiwan, Japan, the United States and Australia jointly hosted an international workshop on maritime law enforcement in Tokyo for the first time, under the auspices of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF).
The GCTF was initiated by Taiwan and the U.S. in 2015 with the aim of “utilizing Taiwan’s strengths and expertise to address global issues of mutual concern” through international workshops, the program’s website says. Over the years, the GCTF has expanded to include other “full partners,” including Japan and Australia, while also collaborating with other countries on co-hosted events.
Tsai went on to express hope that Taiwan and Japan will continue to foster new cooperation in areas such as national security, economics, trade and industrial transition, without elaborating.
She added that both sides should work together in the post-pandemic era as the world faces the challenge of authoritarian expansion and by further promoting their friendship, the release said.
According to the release, Mitsuo reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the security of Japan and other regional countries, noting that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed this position during his meeting with Chinese leaders.
Mitsuo described the friendship between Taipei and Tokyo as an example for the world, adding that Taiwan is a very important partner for Japan because the island not only shares universal values such as freedom and democracy, but also plays an important role in global supply chains, the release said.
Mitsuo noted that if countries shared relationships similar to the one between Taiwan and Japan, there would be no war in the world, according to the release.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association told CNA that Mitsuo arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for a three-day visit, and is expected to meet with other Taiwanese officials before his departure on Dec. 17.
According to the Executive Yuan, Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) also met with Mitsuo on Friday to discuss Taiwan-Japan relations.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel