The strength of friendship and a commitment to jointly tackling shared challenges are rare qualities defining the special relationship between Taiwan and Japan, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu March 10.
Taiwan and Japan have taken turns to lend a helping hand to each other in times of need, Wu said. An example of this was the aftermath of the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake that struck northeastern Japan in 2011, when the government and people of Taiwan offered support to those affected by the disaster, he added.
The sentiment was reciprocated in 2018, when former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his steadfast backing for Taiwan following a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck the eastern county of Hualien, Wu said.
Wu made the remarks during a visit to an exhibition in Taipei City hosted by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association regarding Japan’s appreciation for the assistance from the government and people of Taiwan following the quake.
In a Japanese language tweet after the event, Wu said the support offered by Japan over the years is deeply appreciated by the people of Taiwan. He added that he was sure the friendship between the like-minded partners would continue to go from strength to strength.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan was the top contributor of foreign aid to Japan after the Tohoku earthquake. Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction donations from the public and private sectors totaled NT$6.85 billion (US$241.44 million). (DL-E)
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