《TAIPEI TIMES》 Kobe talks back Taiwan efforts

JAPAN-WIDE SUPPORT: Councilors from across the country urged central government backing of Taiwan’s entry to global organizations while resisting pressure from Beijing

/ Staff Writer, with CNA

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Japanese lawmakers on Friday issued a joint declaration at an annual summit in Kobe, Japan, calling on the Japanese government to support Taiwan’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership （CPTPP）, along with other organizations.

The Kobe Declaration, signed at the Summit on Taiwan-Japan Exchange, says that Japan should increase its efforts to promote Taiwan’s entry to the CPTPP, and also advocate for Taiwan’s participation in international bodies such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Criminal Police Organization.

The declaration also urges Taiwan and Japan to work together to promote economic, cultural and educational exchanges, as well as cooperate in medical care and disaster prevention.

The Kobe Declaration calls for the Japanese government to promptly enact a “basic Taiwan-Japan relations law” that aims to promote bilateral relations and security cooperation.

The summit, which centers on Taiwan-Japan relations, was launched in 2015 by council members in Japan who have friendly relations with Taiwan.

Although Taiwanese city and county councilors were unable to attend this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the summit still drew 510 regional assembly members from across Japan, a record high for the event.

Kobe City Assembly Speaker Kazuhiko Adachi, who hosted the summit, said he was not expecting such a turnout, considering the ongoing pandemic and the absence of Taiwan’s council members.

Taiwanese Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh （謝長廷） was there to thank the organizers for their continued support for Taiwan, and said the summit has helped deepen bilateral ties.

Hsieh said that the Kobe Declaration would help government voices in Japan influence the central government’s decisionmaking at a grassroots level.

The Kobe City Assembly was the first civic government in Japan to pass a motion supporting Taiwan’s participation at the WHO, which prompted Japan’s House of Councilors to pass a resolution calling on countries to grant Taiwan observer status in the global health governing body, Hsieh said.

During the event, organizers also played a recording of Vice President William Lai （賴清德） thanking Japan for its generous donations of COVID-19 vaccines, which have totaled 4.2 million doses to date.

Kobe City Councilor Norihiro Uehata said that the Chinese consulate in Osaka last month sought to block the summit from taking place in Kobe, but in defiance of Beijing’s pressure, event organizers rallied support online, resulting in the largest-ever attendance.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES