A score of Taiwanese compatriot organizations in Japan got together on Sunday for the founding of the All Japan Taiwanese Union (AJTU) at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo.
Among the union members are the Taiwanese Association in Japan, the Japan Taiwan Medical Union, the Taiwanese Women’s Association in Japan and the World United Formosans for Independence’s Japanese chapter.
The union’s founding is widely believed to be the most significant event in the overseas Taiwanese community in Japan since 1945 and the organizations involved are known for their pro-Taiwan activism.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) sent a message congratulating the new organization.
She said that hoped it would play an important role in furthering Taiwan-Japan relations by facilitating non-governmental exchanges.
About 400 people attended the Tokyo event, including Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興), Japanese lawmaker Taimei Yamaguchi and Public Foundation of Japan Exchange Association executive Mito Kakizawa.
Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), Association of East Asian Relations President Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi sent their congratulations.
Hsieh said the union’s founding showed the solidarity of the Taiwanese community in Japan.
He said he hopes it will become an important channel of communication between the two nations.
Wu said he hopes Taiwanese compatriots in Japan would show bipartisanship and support Taiwan by promoting Taiwan-Japan relations.
AJTU president Chao Chung-cheng said Taiwanese in Japan had shown solidarity in founding the organization.
“What it can contribute for the fatherland of Taiwan and how much it can do for non-governmental Taiwan-Japan exchanges are the main questions for the AJTU to answer in its immediate future,” Chao said.
“Under China’s comprehensive diplomatic attacks on Taiwan, Chinese hegemony must be shown the unity of the Taiwanese people’s will and I hope all Taiwanese will unite to fight for their fatherland’s survival,” Chao said.
The union said its main causes are “priority for Taiwan and solidarity first,” to facilitate communication and mutual aid within the Taiwanese community in Japan and to help non-governmental bilateral relations.
The union will seek to recruit other Taiwanese compatriot organizations that “prioritize Taiwan’s interests,” it said.
Source: Taipei Times - 2017/06/06
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