Envoy hopes more legislators join the Taiwan-Japan group

• By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter

Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office chief representative Kazuyuki Katayama yesterday called on more lawmakers to join the 11th Legislative Yuan’s Taiwan-Japan Parliament Members Friendship Association.

Speaking at the inauguration of the association at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Katayama said he was touched to see 70 out of Taiwan’s legislators join the group, but added that he hoped more could participate.

Former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) also called on legislators to participate in the group, as there used to be close to 100 members in the past.

Japan’s All-Party Parliamentary Group, the biggest bloc in the Japanese Diet, has helped promote Taiwan-Japan relations and made great contributions throughout the years, Wang said.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who chairs the association, said that “the cast” is also important, pointing out that the association has attracted solid participants, including Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣).

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) serve as deputy chairs of the association.

Wang, along with two other former legislative speakers — Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and You Si-kun (游錫?) — have honorary chairs.

The legislators greatly value the exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, Han said, adding that he believed more people would respond to Wang’s call and join the group.

Han jokingly said that he and Katayama are like twins, as they both have “very smart hairstyles.”

Katayama responded humorously, saying that when he stood together with Han and Wang, they represented the “dazzling light” emitted by the close relationship between Tokyo and Taipei.

Japan and Taiwan have supported each other through numerous difficulties, Katayama said, citing the examples of the donations made by Taiwanese to Japan after a major earthquake struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture in January and Japanese did the same for Taiwan after a quake hit Hualien County earlier this month.

Taiwan is not only an important partner, but also a precious friend of Japan, which attaches great importance to the relationship, he said.

According to a poll published in July last year, 77 percent of Japanese feel close to Taiwan, and 65 percent believe that Taiwan is trustworthy, he said.

Katayama said he believed the relationship between Japan and Taiwan is “at its historical best” and the friendly bond is “extremely valuable.”