YOU Si-kun: Urging Representative Katayama to Further Advance Taiwan-Japan Relations
On the afternoon of November 30, 2023, President YOU Si-kun received Representative Kazuyuki Katayama of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office, who arrived in Taiwan to assume his post two weeks ago. The President was accompanied by Secretary-General Lin Jih-jia, Consultant Chou Ya-shu, and Director of the International Affairs Department Kevin C.F. Lin and Director Asuka Takahira of the association during this meeting.
President YOU first extended sincere greetings to Representative Katayama, and expressed hope that his tenure in Taiwan would further enhance the already close and friendly Taiwan-Japan relations. He noted that Representative Katayama, who is proficient in Chinese, has deep connections with Taiwan, getting acquainted with Taiwan democracy pioneer Mr. Lin Yi-hsiung decades ago.
Representative Katayama recalled that he first met Lin Yi-hsiung in 1986 while studying at Harvard University in the United States. Coinciding with the founding of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Katayama's interest in Taiwan's democratization process was ignited. He chose "The Establishment of the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan’s Democratization" as the topic for his master's thesis. He regretted that he had never paid an official visit to Taiwan over his 40 some years of diplomatic service, although he had made five private trips, one of which was to Yilan. Katayama expressed his delight to have the honour of being posted to Taiwan this time.
President YOU continued to share with Representative Katayama the historical ties between Taiwan and Japan. He traced Taiwan’s history back to the period of Japanese rule, highlighting in particular Saigo Kikujiro, the son of Saigo Takamori, one of the Three Great Nobles of the Meiji Restoration. Saigo Kikujiro had once served as the governor of Yilan County. During his tenure, he undertook the task of improving the Yilan's waterways. His expertise in water management proved invaluable during his governance in Yilan, which was effectively extended to his tenure as the mayor of Kyoto City. In recognition of Saigo Kikujiro’s achievements as the first Governor of Yilan County, the local gentry and residents erected a monument along the embankment in honor of his good governance. As for the Yilan County Government Office, established by Governor Saigo himself in 1897, it had been well preserved and later transformed into the present-day "Memorial Hall of the Founding of Yilan Administration". This was accomplished when President YOU was Yilan County’s magistrate, serving as a testament to local history. President YOU elaborated the process of Taiwan's democratization, including the DPP's founding, the lifting of martial law, and the retirement and subsequent re-elections of National Assembly members and Legislators. He presented Representative Katayama with the English version of "Breaking the Ban on Political Parties in 1986", freshly released in November this year. President YOU stressed that with more and more relevant historical materials being unveiled, the research on Taiwan's history is gradually gaining ground. Additionally, he offered a copy of the 1986 issue of the weekly magazine "Kai-tuo Shi-dai" covering the Formosa Incident, in the hope to deepening Representative Katayama’s understanding of Taiwan's democratization.
Representative Katayama fully agreed with President YOU's insights. He had been studying Taiwan's democratic development for many years, and was quite impressed by the DPP’s current ruling's journey from its establishment to governance within just 13 years. He highlighted the significance of parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, particularly due to the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. He therefore highly appreciated President YOU's longstanding contributions in this regard. He emphasized that with the shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law between Taiwan and Japan. Japan's ongoing support for Taiwan remains unchanged. He also mentioned that the recent G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Tokyo reaffirmed the critical importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
President YOU acknowledged that promoting parliamentary exchanges is part of his duties and expressed gratitude for Japan's longstanding support for Taiwan. He particularly thanked former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his visionary stance, including the statement "A Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan as well as for the Japan-US alliance". President YOU noted that Prime Minister Abe’s efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region had achieved positive resonance from like-minded countries. He cited South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's statement that "Taiwan is a global issue, and South Korea is firmly opposed to any attempt to change the status quo by force," reinforcing strength into the stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The following discussions also covered topics of mutual interest such as Taiwan-Japan exchanges and the development of tourism routes to the Yonaguni Island. The meeting lasted about fifty minutes, ending with gift exchanges and the taking of group photos in an amicable vibe.
