The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that to assist with the rebuilding of UNESCO World Heritage site Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture, which was damaged in a fire in 2019, the Taiwan government has approved donation of five red cypress logs to Japan.
According to the MOFA, Shuri Castle was built with Taiwan cypress wood, so to reconstruct the castle Japan requested timber from Taiwan. After discussion between the MOFA and the Ministry of Agriculture about regulations on timber export, the Taiwan government agreed to provide material to Japan for the monument’s reconstruction.
In 2020, the total volume of logged red cypress reached 256.98 cubic meters, from this, the amount of the wood to be donated to Japan is 3.86 cubic meters, which it was assessed would not make a significant impact on the red cypress market nor on the environment. The donation process will be coordinated by the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, the MOFA added.
At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in Taiwan, Japan contributed 4.2 million doses of vaccines to Taiwan. The timber donation embodies the deep mutual bond between the two countries and shows that each can offer the other a helping hand, the MOFA said. (POC-E)
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