Events

TPP Holds Talks with the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council Delegation

2023/10/09

On October 9, 2023, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je engaged in a discussion with the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council Delegation led by Chairman Keiji Furuya.

 

During the meeting, Chairman Ko expressed gratitude to Chairman Furuya for the warm hospitality extended to him during his last visit to Japan in June. He acknowledged Chairman Furuya for his longstanding support and concrete actions to Taiwan, such as advocating for Taiwan's status as an observer in the World Health Assembly (WHA) and facilitating cooperation between Taiwanese and Japanese supermarkets to import Taiwanese pineapples when China suddenly banned imports of the fruit in 2021. Ko also highlighted the soled warm relations and partnership between Taiwan and Japan, such as Japan's timely donation of 4.2 million vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Concerning the upcoming presidential election, Ko Wen-je stated that his campaign slogan is "social harmony, party reconciliation, and cross-strait peace." He expressed his hope for a bright future characterized by "Taiwanese peace, Asian peace, and world peace."

 

In his remarks, Chairman Furuya recalled meeting Ko Wen-je three times, praising Ko as an "outstanding leader" with a frank and clear attitude. Furuya mentioned Ko's vision of a political landscape beyond the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), aiming to create a new political culture in Taiwan. Furuya noted that Ko gains a high popularity among young people and is likely to win if they actively participated in the election.

 

Chairman Furuya said that the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council is a cross-party Taiwan friendship group in the Japanese Diet with 271 Japanese parliamentarians, advocating for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations such as the WHA and CPTPP. He cited the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's promotion of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy and expressed the Council's commitment to advancing the strategy, hoping that like-minded countries would join hands to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

 

Using the phrase "true friendship in hard times" to describe the relationship between Taiwan and Japan, Chairman Furuya highlighted mutual assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as Japan’s provision of vaccines to Taiwan and Taiwan’s donation of masks to Japan. He expressed confidence that regardless of which party is in power in both countries, the relationship between Taiwan and Japan will continue to strengthen. And the Council will also continue to promote mutually beneficial exchanges between the two nations.

 

Regarding the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Taiwan, Chairman Furuya emphasized the importance of fair and just campaign rules and was convinced that Taiwan would continue to demonstrate a free, democratic, and rule-of-law society and to maintain friendly relationships with like-minded countries. He finally offered good sentiments and words of encouragement to Ko Wen-je for the coming presidential election.

 

In recent years, the Taiwan People's Party has been dedicated to developing friendly relations with the Japanese Diet. Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan, convener of the TPP legislative caucus, expressed gratitude for the cross-party parliamentary group's 50 years of contributions to promote Taiwan-Japan relations. He continued to state that the cordial Taiwan-Japan relations is evidenced by Chairman Furuya’s largest-ever parliamentary delegation of 43 council members to participate in 2023 Double Ten National Day celebrations. Chiu also noted the increasing interactions between the two countries, not only in exchanges of visit between parliamentarians and government officials but also in tourism, with Taiwanese tourists being the biggest foreign consuming group in Japan during the second quarter of 2023. Chairman Furuya demonstrated his strong support to tourism between Taiwan and Japan by witnessing the direct flights between Su'ao and Yonaguni Island during his last visit to Taiwan in July.

 

Convener Chiu Chen-yuan outlined three key points of mainstream public opinion in Taiwan: safeguarding the common values of freedom and democracy, maintaining stability and security for regional peace, and promoting cooperation in international trade and economics. These align with Ko Wen-je's campaign theme of "Taiwan sovereignty, cross-strait peace," and he hopes that both Taiwan and Japan will continue to cooperate to further contribute to regional security and world peace.

 

Also present at the meeting were Legislator Wu Hsin-ying, TPP Secretary-General Tom Chou, Special Advisor Hsieh Ming-chu, and Deputy Secretary-General Yen Yao-hsing from the Taiwan Origin Brain Trust.