President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan met with the eight-member TY Group from the Japanese House of Councillors Taiwan Delegation this afternoon (July 3) at 3:00 p.m. In attendance were Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang, Foreign and National Defense Committee Convener Legislator Ma Wen-chun, 2 Economics Committee Conveners Legislators Yang Chiung-ying, and Chiu Yi-ying, and Chang Chi-kai, Department of International Affairs Director Kevin C.F. Lin, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Chen Chih-jen.
President Han warmly welcomed the visiting guests on behalf of the Legislative Yuan and, along with Vice President Chiang and attending legislators, took a group photo with the delegation. During the photo session, Vice President Chiang shared with the guests that after eight years of effort, Taiwan achieved a significant milestone just that morning. He, along with several legislators and government officials, witnessed the successful completion of quarantine and the sealing of the first shipment of six metric tons of Taiwan's red dragon fruit for export to Japan. He prepared a box of red dragon fruit to share this joy with the visitors from Japan, marking a new milestone in agricultural trade cooperation between Taiwan and Japan.
In his remarks, President Han noted that the presence of Vice President Chiang and legislators from various political parties at the reception clearly demonstrated the importance of the Japanese parliament to the Legislative Yuan. Taiwan and Japan not only share deep historical ties but also maintain frequent exchanges due to their geographical proximity. According to Taiwan’s Tourism Administration, Japan was the most visited country by Taiwanese travelers last year (2023), with a total of 4.225 million visits. Furthermore, a survey commissioned by the Taipei Representative Office in Japan at the end of last year revealed that 76.6% of the Japanese public feels a sense of closeness to Taiwan, and 65% believe Taiwan is trustworthy. These figures highlight the inseparable bond between Taiwan and Japan, and it is the responsibility of political leaders and legislators on both sides to nurture and sustain the emotional connection between the two nations.
President Han continued by expressing his deep appreciation for the fact that in June 2021, all members of the Japanese House of Councillors, regardless of party affiliation, unanimously passed a resolution supporting Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO). They also called on countries to agree to Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly (WHA) starting in 2022. This demonstrated Japan's comprehensive support for Taiwan’s involvement in the WHO and was of great significance. President Han poignantly compared Taiwan to a swimmer who has been struggling in the water for a long time and hopes to come up for air. He described this as Taiwan’s current situation in the international community: despite feeling isolated, Taiwan continues to strive to move forward and always hopes to work together with friends from around the world.
President Han further mentioned that in March of this year (2024), Vice President Chiang led a delegation to Tokyo, Japan, to attend the 52nd General Assembly and 86th Council Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU). He expressed his gratitude for the support of the Japanese parliamentarians, noting that the outcome was highly fruitful. Taiwan successfully secured the hosting rights for the 53rd General Assembly and 87th Council Meeting of the APPU next year (2025). President Han warmly invited all the attending councillors to come to Taiwan next year to participate in this significant event.
President Han further told the Japanese guests that the current (11th) Legislative Yuan Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association has become the largest parliamentary friendship group, with more than two-thirds of all legislators having signed up as members. This clearly demonstrates the cross-party commitment of the Legislative Yuan's legislators to Taiwan-Japan relations.
President Han mentioned that the partnership between Taiwan and Japan has truly shown its strength in times of adversity, far beyond any words. He particularly highlighted the early April earthquake this year, Taiwan's strongest in 25 years, which severely impacted Hualien. The Japanese government extended its condolences immediately, and friends from various sectors of both the government and civil society also generously donated or organized fundraising efforts. The Taiwanese government and people are deeply grateful for these gestures. On this occasion, President Han expressed his sincerest thanks to the Japanese friends present, on behalf of the Legislative Yuan and the entire nation.
President Han concluded by emphasizing that Japan is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner. In February of this year, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) officially opened a new wafer fabrication plant specializing in advanced processing technology in Kumamoto, which will begin mass production by the end of the year. This milestone not only symbolizes the advancement of the Taiwan-Japan partnership but also reflects the growing industrial cooperation between the two countries. He expressed hope that the friendship between Taiwan and Japan will continue to strengthen in the future.
The Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Japanese House of Councillors, Hirofumi Takinami, began his speech by expressing his gratitude to President Han, Vice President Chiang, and the attending legislators for taking the time to meet with the delegation. This was the first visit of the TY Group from the Japanese House of Councillors Taiwan Delegation to President Han. The abbreviation "TY" not only represents the initials of his and Vice Chairperson Yumi Yoshikawa’s names but also stands for "Taiwan Friendship Group." He reiterated that the 2021 resolution passed by the Japanese House of Councillors in support of Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO) was the result of the concerted efforts of many pro-Taiwan councillors, including himself, Councillor Yoshikawa, and Councillor Haruko Arimura. Additionally, when Taiwan faced a severe vaccine shortage due to the pandemic in the same year, they, along with Chairman Keiji Furuya of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, worked tirelessly to facilitate Japan’s donation of vaccines to Taiwan.
Senator Takinami mentioned that over the years, whether facing natural disasters or regional security crises, Taiwan and Japan have always stood together and supported each other, with a bond as deep as family. They have consistently been each other’s most steadfast allies. He concluded by emphasizing that his wife is a native of Taiwan, which makes him a son-in-law of Taiwan and essentially, in a sense, Taiwanese himself. He pledged to continue his efforts to deepen the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
Vice President Chiang expressed his delight in welcoming everyone, especially Councillor Takinami, who is affectionately referred to as a "son-in-law of Taiwan," back to his "home." He noted that the emotional bond and mutual support between Japan and Taiwan transcend words. He reiterated his gratitude for the significant assistance Japan provided during his delegation’s visit to the APPU Council Meeting in March. Throughout his visit to Japan, he had numerous opportunities to meet and exchange views with Japanese parliamentarians, working diligently to advance Taiwan-Japan relations. He warmly invited everyone to come to Taiwan next year for the APPU General Assembly. He also expressed sincere appreciation for Japan's continued support for Taiwan in important international forums and hoped that the Japanese councillors present would assist Taiwan in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He was pleased to hear that the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council established a CPTPP Research Task Force in June to explore ways to support Taiwan’s membership and looked forward to continued concrete support from the Japanese government and parliament.
During the bilateral exchanges, Convener Yang Chiung-ying remarked that agricultural exchanges between Taiwan and Japan are very close. The first shipment of red dragon fruit being exported to Japan by air today represents a further success in Taiwan-Japan economic and agricultural cooperation, with hopes for continued collaboration in more fields. Convener Ma Wen-chun noted that Taiwan-Japan relations have always been close, transcending words, and expressed hopes for continued cooperation in various areas. Convener Chiu Yi-ying expressed confidence that through exchanges with Japan in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, Japanese people will gain a better understanding of authentic Taiwan, and emphasized that Taiwan-Japan friendship extends beyond economics to include important political interactions. Legislator Chang Chi-kai thanked the Japanese House of Councillors for its ongoing support for Taiwan and looked forward to deeper exchanges in the future. He also invited the attending councillors to visit Taiwan frequently, highlighting that there are many wonderful fruits and attractions worth exploring in Taiwan.
During the bilateral discussions, the visiting delegation enjoyed tasting Taiwan’s fresh red dragon fruit while engaging with President Han, Vice President Chiang, and the representatives from the three party caucuses. They exchanged broad views on topics including democratic freedom, political and economic development, semiconductor prospects, agricultural diplomacy, cultural and artistic development, and the deepening of Taiwan-Japan relations. The visitors praised the sweet and aromatic taste of Taiwan’s dragon fruit. The meeting lasted approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, with a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The event concluded with the exchange of souvenirs, marking a successful end to the meeting.
After the meeting, the delegation continued to engage with Convener Ma Wen-chun, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting, and Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien. They discussed Taiwan-Japan relations, cross-strait relations, high-tech exchanges and cooperation, and regional peace and stability. The exchange of views was extensive and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. The discussions lasted approximately 40 minutes and concluded with a group photo and the exchange of gifts, marking a successful end to the meeting.
Note: List of Visitors
1. Hirofumi Takinami, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Japanese House of Councillors
2. Yumi Yoshikawa, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
3. Kimi Onoda, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
4. Hiroyuki Kada, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
5. Masato Shimizu, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
6. Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
7. Manabu Nagai, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
8. Daisuke Kajiwara, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors
