Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Japan backs Taiwan on CPTPP: Suzuki

Taipei Times

Japan would welcome Taiwan’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division director Norikazu Suzuki said at a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.

The Youth Division has cooperated and promoted exchanges with Taiwan for more than 50 years, and will continue to uphold this tradition and bolster bilateral ties, said Suzuki, who arrived on Sunday as the leader of a 65-member LDP delegation.

As former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, who was also a Youth Division director, said during his trip to Taiwan earlier this month, Japan and Taiwan will face various challenges side by side, Suzuki said.

US calls on China to end pressure against Taiwan

Taipei Times

The US on Saturday urged China to stop pressuring Taiwan, saying it would continue to monitor China’s military exercises.

“We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan,” a US Department of State spokesperson said in a statement.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday also urged Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan.

Taiwan must define its territory

Taipei Times Editorials

Vice President William Lai (賴清德) has no plans for Taiwan to formally declare independence if elected president in next year’s election, he told Bloomberg Businessweek in an interview published on Tuesday.

“Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country called the Republic of China,” and “there are no plans to change the name of our country,” Lai said.

The statement was perhaps a response to questions surrounding Lai’s past description of himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence.”

Lai causes White House debate

Lin Tzu-yao 林子堯 and Cathy Fang

Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, caused a stir by expressing his hope for Taiwan’s future president to visit the White House. Shortly after, the Financial Times, a reliable source for first-hand news from high-ranking officials, reported that Lai’s remarks have raised concerns in Washington, sparking a debate within Taiwan’s political circles and boosting the morale of US skeptics.

For decades, the US has been cautious in its interactions with Taipei, allowing only transit stops for the president and vice president of Taiwan. This practice, dubbed a “tacit agreement” by both sides, appears to be outdated and should be revisited.

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