Taiwan welcomes US-Japan security statement

Taiwan welcomes and supports a U.S.-Japan joint statement on strengthening security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, Government Information Office Minister Philip Yang said May 2 in Taipei City.

“From our perspective, the statement can be seen as a key plank stabilizing power relations in East Asia,” Yang said. “It is a milestone for peaceful development in the East Asian region and one we have all expected for some time.”

Yang, who made the remarks at a one-day international seminar reviewing Taiwan-Japan relations over the past 40 years, was referring to the joint statement on U.S.-Japan security issued April 30 by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda following a meeting in Washington.

Yang also expressed hope of Taiwan improving ties with mainland China while strengthening relations across all sectors with the U.S. and Japan.

Separately, ROC Representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun said that since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008, he has attached great importance to Taipei-Tokyo ties.

“The president has made significant headway in taking this special partnership to a level not seen since before 1972 when Japan severed diplomatic relations with the ROC.”

This healthy state of affairs has influenced the people of both countries, Shen said, citing a May 2011 opinion poll conducted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Tokyo. According to the survey, 91 percent of the respondents described bilateral ties as good, while 84 percent saw Taiwan is a trustworthy partner.

A recent poll conducted by Japan’s Interchange Association in Taipei also delivered similar results, with Japan voted “top tourist destination” by local respondents, he added.

Statistics show that visits between Taiwan and Japan reached 2.43 million in 2011 and as of March, the number of Taiwan arrivals in Japan doubled year on year.

“I believe a target of 3 million two-way visits can be achieved in 2012,” Shen said.

Echoing the representative’s remarks, Interchange Association Secretary-General Kenichi Okada said Japan will work on solidifying bilateral ties to ensure another 40 years of good relations with Taiwan. (JSM)