President Tsai Ing-wen said May 14 that strengthening Taiwan’s strategic relationships with like-minded countries throughout the Asia-Pacific is key to promoting democracy and freedom while keeping the region on the development track.
The Asia-Pacific is entering a new phase brought about by changes on the Korean Peninsula following last month’s summit between the leaders of South and North Korea, Tsai said. Such developments pose challenges but also open the door to opportunities for advancing regional peace and prosperity, she added.
According to the president, this positive trend is in keeping with the outcome of the trilateral summit involving Japan, South Korea and mainland China earlier this month in Tokyo. Agreements on long-standing issues like improving communication will help foster regional stability, she said, adding that warmer Japan-mainland China ties do not necessarily preclude good relations between Taiwan and Japan.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a delegation of academics led by Yoshiji Nogami, president of Tokyo-headquartered Japan Institute of International Affairs, at the Office of the President in Taipei City. The group is in country for the May 14-15 Taiwan-Japan Strategic Dialogue.
The president said as an important piece of the Asian geopolitical jigsaw, Taiwan understands the need for bolstering dialogue and collaboration among leading players. This is why we support the Indo-Pacific initiatives of Japan and the U.S., and are paying more attention to related policymaking, she added.
According to Tsai, the fifth edition of the annual dialogue is an excellent opportunity for Taiwan and Japan to reflect on the new shape of Taipei-Tokyo-Washington-Beijing relations, as well as examine avenues for enhanced regional security cooperation.
It is hoped that such exchanges will lead to Taiwan receiving even greater support from Japan in its bid to play a bigger role in the international community, the president said, adding that the government and people are grateful for this strong backing and look forward to it continuing in the future.
First staged in 2014, the dialogue is organized by think tanks Institute of National Policy Research at National Sun Yat-sen University in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Society of Japan Study in Taipei and JIIA. (CPY-E)
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