The Legislative Yuan
Press Release
July 3, 2023
President You meets and hosts a dinner in honor of 12-member cross-party parliamentary delegation from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Japan Innovation Party, and Democratic Party
You Si-kun: Japan is a great country to embrace new concept with fast reform
Accompanied by Legislators Chiu Yi-ying, Chen Yu-jen, Chiu Chen-yuan, Chen Jiau-hwa, Secretary General Lin Jih-jia, Consultant Chou Ya-shu, Secretariat Director Kung Ping-chieh, President You met with and hosted a dinner in honor of the 12-members of cross-party delegation from Japan’s National Diet and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Deputy Representative Hiroyuki Okajima in the evening of July 3.
In his remarks, President You praised Japan a great and beautiful country. Japan is a great country because it embraces news concept and is very fast in reform. Looking at Japan’s history, it was very unusual for Japan to take only 50 years to become a major power since the Arrival of Black Ships in 1853. What was more unusual is that it becomes a major power to uphold the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Compared to Japan, its neighboring China has not become a free and democratic country since the Opium War in 1842. This comparison further demonstrates the greatness of Japan. According to the US Freedom House report, Japan is rated as the first in Asia in terms of its freedom score and 11th around the world, showing that Japan is the most free and democratic country in Asia.
President You continued to stat that he was honored and fortunate to see Taiwan has such a good neighbor like Japan. Especially when Taiwan and Japan provided each other support whenever there were natural disasters. When the pandemic was tense in Taiwan, Japan donated more than four million vaccine doses to Taiwan. When Taiwan’s agricultural products were banned by a neighboring country, Japan helped to promote marketing. When Taiwan was bullied by a neighboring country, former Prime Minister Abe proposed “A Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan” to have stability in East Asia. When a major European country leader stated that Europe should not be engaged in the Taiwan Strait crisis, Prime Minister Kishida pleaded in G7 Summit that the issue across the Taiwan Strait is a global issue to promote the stability in the Taiwan Strait, the Indo-Pacific region and the even the entire world. The people of Taiwan are grateful for that.
President You stated that he would led a delegation to visit Yonaguni Island the next day with members from the industry, academia and government and would have a meeting with members from the R.O.C. (Taiwan)-Japan Diet Members’ Consultative Council in the afternoon. The trip was the result of the promise between Chairman Keiji Furuya when they had a distant look from Yilan a day before Taiwan’s National Day. It was a pity that it was cloudy that they did not have a clear look at the island. Therefore, they made a promise to meet in Yonaguni Island. After the news was reported the people of Taiwan suddenly realized that the closed country to Taiwan is not China nor the Philippines but Japan with only 111 kilometers apart. The visit would also mark an ice-braking trip for between Suao town and Yonaguni Island town. He continued to state that before Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko abdicated the throne in 2018, they visited Japan’s westernmost point Yonaguni Island. He suggested that Japanese tourists that visit Taiwan could spend an extra day there and return to Japan by boat via Yonaguni or Ishihaki, or Okinawa, it would promote their tourism industry and enhance the close relations between Taiwan and Japan.
President You stated that since the news was released, friends from the private sector showed their interests to join the rank. Since this is an official visit, many of them could not come. Despite it, there are still more than 20 groups expressing their interests to visit the island if the trip was successful, they would immediately visit the island. He wanted to take the opportunity to ask the delegation to promote this significant trip after they returned to Japan.
In his remarks, House of Representatives Member Maehara Seiji thanked President You for the wonderful dinner banquet. This delegation was comprised of members from the three opposition parties of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Japan Innovation Party, and Democratic Party for the People, showing that both the ruling and opposition parties attach great importance to Taiwan, because both countries share the fundamental values of human rights, rule of law, democracy and freedom. Therefore, Japan respects the people of Taiwan to maintain the status quo and cannot accept to change the status quo by the use of force. He stated that there are authoritarian regimes surrounding Taiwan and Japan. Therefore, building a free and open East Asia is very important. This is a very important stance of Japan’s opposition parties. The three opposition parties support Taiwan to join WHO and CPTPP. He believed that Taiwan has outstanding economic development in the world. According to the 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, Taiwan ranks 6th among 64 countries, only next to Singapore in Asia. As an economy with a population of more than 20 million, Taiwan ranks first for three consecutive years. In addition, TSMC investment in setting up a plant in Kumamoto exceeds the total amount of Japan’s three largest companies, showing the importance of Taiwan. Therefore, Japan is willing to exercise the united intimidation power to prevent the change of the status quo and make contributions to regional peace and stability.
Dinner banquet began after mutual exchange of gifts and group photos. Both sides exchanges views on various issues between Taiwan and Japan. The dinner concluded at around 7:30 p.m. (E)
Note: Members of the Delegation
- House of Representatives Member Maehara Seiji
- House of Representatives Member Watanabe Shu
- House of Representative Member Fujita Fumitake
- House of Representative Member Inatomi Shuji
- House of Representative Member Tokunaga Hisashi
- House of Councillors Member Ito Takae
- House of Representative Member Asano Satoshi
- House of Representative Member Wada Yuichiro
- House of Representative Member Kanemura Ryuna
- House of Representative Member Iwatani Ryohei
- House of Representative Member Saito Alex
