Taiwan’s legislative delegation led by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang of the Legislative Yuan attended the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU) meetings held in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to attending the three-day sessions of General Assembly and Council Meeting, the delegation made the most of multiple occasions to interact with members of Parliament from Japan and other attending nations, seeking to expand Taiwan’s international space through parliamentary diplomacy.

On the evenings of the second (March 11) and third (March 12) day of the visit, all members of Taiwan delegation attended cocktail receptions for welcoming the attending delegations. One was organized by the parliamentarian delegation of the host Country (Japan) and the other by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The first reception held by the Japanese parliamentarian delegation took place at the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan. After the address by Representative Shunichi Yamaguchi, there was a video of the speech by the Head of Japan delegation, Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga of the House of Representatives. In the next evening at Hotel New Otani Tokyo, the second reception held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan was hosted by Vice-Minister Yasushi Hosaka of Foreign Affairs; also in attendance were Chairperson Seishiro Eto of Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association and multiple members of the Japanese House of the Representatives. The two receptions were attended by members of Parliament from all APPU member nations, with whom the Taiwan delegation engaged in fruitful exchange of ideas and built connections, seeking support for Taiwan from various countries.

On the fourth night (March 13) of the visit, Taiwan delegation held a banquet at Imperial Hotel Tokyo to receive members from the Japan’s Youth Division of the Liberal Democratic Party; members from both delegations had in-depth exchanges over dinner. Vice President Chiang stated that despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Japan, we have had close exchanges with members from the LDP Youth Division, which laid a foundation for the mutually beneficial partnerships today; this deep friendship will be passed down continuously by the younger generation. Chiang stressed that he has been serving at the Legislative Yuan for over 12 years, and it was his pleasure to lead a delegation composed of both senior and young legislators to have face-to-face exchanges with over a dozen of Japan’s councilors and representatives, including Representative Takako Suzuki, the new Director of the Youth Division, and Representatives Norikazu Suzuki and Hajime Sasaki, the former Directors of the Youth Division. It is hoped that these occasions could continue to deepen close ties between Taiwan and Japan.

The new Director Takako Suzuki of the Youth Division shared that on her first day of assuming office, there were flowers from Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan to congratulate her; when she was first elected as a member to the House of Representatives, it was also the Sapporo Branch of Taiwan’s Representative Office in Japan that congratulated her first. From these gestures, she deeply realizes the responsibility shouldered by the Youth Division as the window for exchanges with Taiwan. Director Suzuki also mentioned that Kushiro City, her constituency, resumed flights to Taoyuan Airport after the COVID-19 pandemic; in addition, Taiwan and Kushiro have also been in exchanges on experiences for crane bird conservation. Cranes are known for their faithfulness and dedication, just like the firm bond between Taiwan and Japan. There is no doubt that the two nations will work together to overcome difficulties and welcome positive outcomes. A toast was made after the addresses, and the dinner concluded in warmth and joy with engaged exchanges after 2 hours.

During this visit to Japan, Taiwan’s legislative delegation not only secured more international space for Taiwan’s participation at the APPU event, but also made good use of various occasions to establish contacts and interactions with members of Parliament from various countries. This greatly augmented Taiwan’s international visibility and put down a new chapter in the history of our parliamentary diplomacy.