Latest news with #Japan-Taiwan
Yomiuri Shimbun
04-08-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Families of WWII Soldiers Who Died in Bashi Channel Mourn at Ceremony in Southern Taiwan
PINGTUNG COUNTY, Taiwan — A memorial service was held Sunday at Chaoyin Temple in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, to commemorate Japanese soldiers who died in battle during the World War II in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines. About 160 people, including family members of the soldiers and those engaged in Japan-Taiwan relations, attended the service and offered prayers for the repose of their souls. At the ceremony, a 83-year-old priest from Ogi, Saga Prefecture, recited sutras. His father was the captain of the destroyer Kuretake, which sank in the Bashi Channel. Kazuyuki Katayama, representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office, equivalent to an embassy, read out a condolence message from Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Takamaro Fukuoka. A 80-year-old female resident of Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, lost her father, who was a lance corporal in the Imperial Japanese Army. Attending the ceremony for the first time, she released photos of her father, as well as of her late mother and brother, into the sea from a sandy beach overlooking the strait. 'This is the first time all four members of my family have gathered here. War destroys families and makes people miserable,' she said, emphasizing the value of peace. The Bashi Channel was a major supply route connecting Japan and areas to the south during the war. Nicknamed 'the graveyard of transport ships' due to intense U.S. military attacks that sank Japanese ships one after another, it is said that over 100,000 people lost their lives in the channel. Some of the remains drifted ashore to southern Taiwan, where local residents cremated and buried them. In September, Japan plans to conduct a search to excavate the remains of the war dead.
The Mainichi
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Global perspective: Democracy, welfare are among Taiwan's fortes
By Ryosei Kokubun, Chairman of the Asian Affairs Research Council Will there be a "Taiwan contingency?" What will happen to U.S.-China relations? And how about the relationship between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers as a renegade province? These are questions to which no one has the right answer, but people are making a fuss over them anyway. I decided to leave the global hustle and bustle and went on a five-day solo trip to Taiwan in mid-May. I have visited Taiwan countless times over the past 30 years or so, but this time I paid respects to the grave of my mentor in Taiwan, Peng Run-tzu, who passed away two years ago. He invested his personal business fortune and his time and energy into the future of Taiwan and Japan-Taiwan relations. Since my schedule was not too tight, I warmed up old friendships with old friends and former international students. Thanks to the kindness of my friends, I was able to not only greet but also discuss issues with current and past government top leaders. Stability and women's empowerment My impression of the trip was that society seemed to be more stable than before. The disparity in societal and economic status between original Taiwan residents and newcomers from mainland China after World War II seemed to be fading due to generational successions. In the past, when people in Taiwan met for the first time, they would immediately began speculating about their origins judging from their accents and atmosphere. Now Taiwan is one of the world's leading players in terms of women's social participation, and is eager to provide educational and employment incentives to indigenous peoples and to preserve their cultures. Economic policy debates on prices and wages are endless, but Taiwan's GDP per capita has exceeded that of Japan. Second, the two-party system of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT) has taken hold. There is a big difference in their stances on China, and in terms of policy, the DPP is progressive and the KMT is conservative. Politics is the same now as it was in the past, and there are constant struggles and scandals between and within parties. The DPP has long had fierce factional strife within the party, and the relationship between President Lai Ching-te and former President Tsai Ing-wen, who are in different factions, is complicated. President Lai's approval rating is declining. The KMT has overcome the crisis of dissolution and the younger generation has emerged, but regional bosses still have a stronger say, and former President Ma Ying-jeou is disrupting the party. Third, while trust in Japan is overwhelmingly high, trust in the United States is surprisingly low. According to the latest survey by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, 76 percent said they liked Japan the most, while only 3 percent like the U.S. and China. The low favorability of the U.S. is a phenomenon that predates the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, and many people doubt whether Washington will really help in cross-strait contingencies. The second-term Trump administration's tariff policy toward Taiwan has been strict, and consideration for Taipei's national security needs has remained lacking. When it comes to discussions about the future of Taiwan, I am concerned that many people are only looking at international perspectives such as U.S.-China and cross-strait relations. Here, I would like to share my opinion based on my observations inside Taiwan. I felt during my latest trip that Taiwan will become a welfare society of the highest level in Asia in the future if the well-established democracy remains as it is. Taiwan recently managed to shut down all nuclear power reactors. Everyone says that this was triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake in Japan. But that's only half the truth. When I spoke with a figure involved in the drafting of the founding party platform of the DPP, which was established in 1986 at the same time as Taiwan's democratization, he said that the party's anti-nuclear policy had its origins in the Chernobyl accident in April of the same year. According to this figure, the DPP was originally modeled on European politics, focusing primarily on social democracies such as the Nordic countries. As mentioned above, social participation of women in Taiwan is among the best in the world and it is by far the most advanced in Asia. With the introduction of the quota system, more than 40% of the members of the national legislature are women. Same-sex marriage has also become legal, and the acceptance of foreign workers has been institutionalized as a measure against the declining birthrate. As mentioned above, the protection of indigenous peoples is also generous. During her presidency, Tsai Ing-wen publicly apologized for the mistreatment of indigenous peoples in the past. Utilities such as electricity, water, and transportation are also relatively cheap. Taiwan's consumption tax is 5 percent. The pensions of civil servants are being reformed, but the amount remains at nearly 70 percent of salaries before retirement. Fiscal discipline is solid. The fiscal balance is stable due to economic growth, and the outstanding debt is around 25% of GDP, which is one of the lowest in the world. It is a never-ending dream in Japan, which suffers one of the world's highest debt-GDP ratio. Welfare system supporting national security Certain historic backgrounds have contributed to the development of Scandinavian countries as welfare societies, but it was also the threat of the neighboring Soviet Union that drove them into that direction after the war. They needed to stabilize their countries, and welfare systems helped them achieve that. Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui said, "Taiwan's greatest security is to establish democracy." This is because it is judged that it will be easy to gain the understanding of the United States and other countries that would support Taipei. For Taiwan, which has already established democracy, transforming itself into a welfare state may strengthen internal unity and provide strong security along with strengthening military capabilities for deterrence. At Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I asked officials there the following question: Isn't it an advantage for Taiwan to be a non-state in the current international system? In 2010, there were 23 countries that recognized Taiwan, but now the number stands at mere 12. Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization, and although there is a pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, the facility is not allowed to use "Taiwan" in its name. The arrangement was made either because of China's opposition or out of concern for China. Increased global awareness toward Taiwan However, Taiwanese people can now travel to around 140 countries and regions around the world without a visa with a "Republic of China" passport. Even under pressure from China, the world's recognition of Taiwan is actually increasing. In addition, in a globalized economy, Taiwanese businesses are very active, as in the case of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. The United States under the Trump administration is single-mindedly engaged in a tariff struggle stemming from unilateralism. China is strengthening its political control while calling for "free competition" in opposition to the United States. Russia is eager to fight a war. Everywhere in the world, there are desperate attempts to build national walls. In this inward-looking international order, non-state status seems to be working in Taiwan's favor. The staff of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs listened to my paradox with wide eyes. Taiwanese people show smiles on their face and feel fed up in their hearts when they hear naive thinking that tends to be common among the Japanese, such as the self-proclaimed "pro-Taiwan" posture for the promotion of "anti-China" arguments, or the belief that Taiwanese people are pro-Japan because of the success of Japan's colonial rule. Japan has much to learn from Taiwan.
The Mainichi
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Lawmaker Sanae Takaichi seeks to strengthen supply chain with Taiwan
TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi called Monday for cooperation between Japan and Taiwan to strengthen supply chain resilience during a meeting with the self-ruled territory's President Lai Ching-te, according to its Presidential Office. The House of Representatives member, who is on a three-day visit to Taiwan through Tuesday, told Lai that the two sides can collaborate across multiple fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and drones to build a more resilient supply chain. Takaichi, who had close ties with the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also sought stronger defense cooperation, saying Taiwan's collaboration with countries such as Japan, the United States, the Philippines and Australia can help it build a stronger network to ensure security, Lai's office said. Speaking at a press conference, she said that although Japan-Taiwan relations are practical and nongovernmental, the two sides should strengthen them by "further promoting people-to-people exchanges and sharing information." In the meeting, Lai expressed his willingness to pursue the signing of an economic partnership agreement between Japan and Taiwan, for which Takaichi indicated her support, his office said. During her trip, the lawmaker also held talks with former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung. Takaichi lost in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election last year to Shigeru Ishiba, now Japan's prime minister.
Japan Today
28-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Lawmaker Takaichi seeks to strengthen supply chain with Taiwan
Former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi called Monday for cooperation between Japan and Taiwan to strengthen supply chain resilience during a meeting with the self-ruled territory's President Lai Ching-te, according to its Presidential Office. The House of Representatives member, who is on a three-day visit to Taiwan through Tuesday, told Lai that the two sides can collaborate across multiple fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and drones to build a more resilient supply chain. Takaichi, who had close ties with the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also sought stronger defense cooperation, saying Taiwan's collaboration with countries such as Japan, the United States, the Philippines and Australia can help it build a stronger network to ensure security, Lai's office said. Speaking at a press conference, she said that although Japan-Taiwan relations are practical and nongovernmental, the two sides should strengthen them by "further promoting people-to-people exchanges and sharing information." In the meeting, Lai expressed his willingness to pursue the signing of an economic partnership agreement between Japan and Taiwan, for which Takaichi indicated her support, his office said. During her trip, the lawmaker also held talks with former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung. Takaichi lost in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election last year to Shigeru Ishiba, now Japan's prime minister. © KYODO
25-04-2025
- Business
LDP's Takaichi to Visit Taiwan from Sun.
News from Japan Politics Apr 25, 2025 18:35 (JST) Tokyo, April 25 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will visit Taiwan for three days from Sunday to meet with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and former President Tsai Ing-wen, informed sources said Friday. They are expected to exchange views on Japan-Taiwan relations and economic security. Takaichi will also attend an event hosted by a local private organization that promotes exchanges between Japan and Taiwan, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
