Former Japan PM Aso Taro reaches Taiwan for 3-day visit

Former Japan PM Aso Taro reaches Taiwan for 3-day visit

2023-08-07

A delegation led by former Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro touched down in Taiwan on Monday morning. Aso is currently the vice president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which makes him the highest-ranking member to visit Taiwan in the past 50 years. During his three-day visit, Aso is scheduled to give a keynote at the Ketagalan Forum. He will also be received by President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te. Aso is widely seen as an outspoken supporter of Taiwan.

Wearing his signature hat, Aso Taro greets the crowd. Twelve years after his last visit, the former Japanese PM and current VP of the Liberal Democratic Party is back in Taiwan.

Aso’s delegation will stay in Taiwan for three days. On Monday afternoon, Aso went to Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery, to pay his respects to late Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to give a keynote at the Ketagalan Forum. Then he’ll have lunch with Vice President Lai Ching-te and meet President Tsai Ing-wen in the afternoon. He’ll also sit with foreign minister Joseph Wu and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
Former PM Aso has always been a very good friend of Taiwan. I hope that through more city-to-city exchanges, we will be able to deepen relations between Taiwan and Japan.

Aso Taro (2010)
Former Japan PM
In Taiwan-Japan ties, people-to-people relations are most important.

Aso is 82 years old this year. In 2008, he was elected president of the LDP and became prime minister of Japan. He later returned as deputy prime minister in 2012. Aso previously said that in many meaningful ways, Taiwan shares many common values with Japan. The pro-Taiwan politician has expressed public support for Taiwan on numerous occasions.

Aso Taro (2020)
Former Japan PM
I could say that Taiwan is the country that has best dealt with the pandemic. But if I say that Taiwan is a country, the Chinese Communist Party will tell me to resign and say that Taiwan is an area, not a country.

Kuo Kuo-wen
DPP lawmaker
Aso Taro’s Taiwan visit is as significant as Abe’s. His stance against communism and his tough position on China are on par with Abe’s if not stronger.

Aso’s visit is being closely watched. In a Facebook post published after seeing Aso off on his trip, Taiwan’s envoy to Japan Frank Hsieh said Aso may become the only major Japanese politician to meet all three candidates in Taiwan’s presidential election.

前日相麻生太郎率團訪台將會見蔡總統.賴副

2023-08-07

日本前首相暨自民黨副總裁麻生太郎，率團抵達台灣，這是台日斷交50年後，訪台層級最高的自民黨幹部。麻生太郎此行預計在台停留三天，出席凱達格蘭論壇，並擔任專題演講嘉賓，也將會晤總統蔡英文及副總統賴清德。麻生過去曾多次公開發表挺台言論，更被日本政界視為’’友台派’’。

戴著招牌紳士帽，和台灣民眾打招呼，相隔12年，日本自民黨副總裁、前首相麻生太郎再次率團訪台。

麻生太郎一行人，將在台停留3天，7號下午，前往五指山弔唁前總統李登輝。8號上午參加凱達格蘭論壇活動，並擔任演講貴賓，中午和副總統賴清德吃飯，下午會見總統蔡英文，也將拜會外交部長吳釗燮，及台北市長蔣萬安。

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“麻生前首相一直是我們台灣非常友好的朋友。希望能夠透過城市的交流，來持續深化台日關係。”

[[日本前首相麻生太郎(2010)]]
“台日關係當中，人與人的關係是最重要的。”

今年82歲的麻生太郎，2008年擔綱自民黨總裁，並出任日本首相，2012年再任副首相。麻生太郎曾宣稱，台灣從多種意義上來說，是與日本有共同價值觀的國家，被視為日本政界「友台派」，更曾多次在公開場合，發表挺台言論。

[[日本前首相麻生太郎(2020)]]
“台灣在這次疫情中，可以說是處理最好的國家了，但我說台灣是個國家，共產黨又要生氣，叫我下台，說台灣是個地區不是國家。”

[[立委(民) 郭國文]]
“麻生太郎親台程度並不亞於安倍，對於反共，或對中的強硬程度，有過之，而無不及。”

麻生此行訪台頗受關注，駐日代表謝長廷一早就去送機，臉書更提到，麻生可能是唯一見過台灣藍綠白參選人的日本政要。

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The Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union blasted the performance, demanding an apology from Ko. DPP lawmakers also weighed in.

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Tairyo-bata master
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Wu Ming-chang
Tairyo-bata master
I thought they were scammers! I tried to ignore them. But they kept coming back to me again and again. I think they’re very sincere. So I started to teach them.

National Sun Yat-sen University student
We went to pay our respects to the master, and he shut the door on us! Because he didn’t think there was anybody who would want to do such a complicated craft anymore. We are determined to bring this craft back.

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