From August 24 to 26, Legislative Yuan Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣) led a 14-member cross-party delegation to Tokyo to attend the 88th Council Meeting and 54th General Assembly of Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians' Union (APPU) on behalf of Legislative Yuan President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜). Upon returning to Taiwan on the evening of August 26, Vice President Chiang delivered brief remarks at the airport, sharing the tangible results of the visit with the public.
Vice President Chiang highlighted three main achievements of the visit:
First, during the three-day visit, the delegation actively participated in the APPU meetings under the name “Republic of China (Taiwan).” Last year, the 2025 General Assembly and Council Meeting were held in Taipei. This year, the baton was passed to Japan under the theme “Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation for Maintaining a Free and Open Economic Order and Strengthening Regional Supply Chain Resilience.” Resolutions proposed by Taiwan encompassed three key issues: building democratic and resilient supply chain systems, enhancing food supply chain resilience, and deepening cooperation on marine environmental protection in the Indo-Pacific. All resolutions were adopted and incorporated into the joint communiqué.
Second, in the spirit of parliamentary diplomacy, the delegation made full use of breaks between meetings to engage with its Japanese counterparts. The delegates met with Chairman Furuya Keiji of the Japan-Taiwan Diet Members’ Consultative Council and 13 Diet members. They also engaged with House of Councillors member Arimura Haruko, Chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s General Council, and seven pro-Taiwan lawmakers from the party’s Youth Division, further deepening Taiwan-Japan friendship.
Third, the delegation had cordial exchanges with parliamentary representatives at the APPU meetings, including the speakers or deputy speakers from Taiwan’s three diplomatic allies, namely the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, strengthening diplomatic ties and inter-parliamentary friendship. The delegation also engaged with representatives from other participating countries and territories, including the Philippines and Guam, actively advancing parliamentary diplomacy.
In closing, Vice President Chiang expressed his special appreciation to the members of the cross-party delegation. He commended their unity in participating in APPU activities, their active engagement with fellow parliamentarians, and their collective efforts and contributions to advancing parliamentary diplomacy. (2026/08/26)
