Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) met a delegation from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Youth Division at the Presidential Office Building Tuesday morning. The delegation, led by party representative Takako Suzuki, arrived in Taiwan on Monday and will stay until Friday.
Speaking to the delegation, vice president Lai thanked Japan not only for their assistance after the Hualien earthquake, but also for donating vaccines to Taiwan during the COVID-19 epidemic. He noted that Japanese contributions account for more than half of all foreign donations supporting Taiwan’s post-earthquake relief. Lai highlighted the historical ties binding the two countries and said he looks forward to further strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations after he takes office on May 20.
In response, party representative Suzuki expressed her condolences for the Hualien earthquake on April 3 and thanked Taiwan for providing support after the 2024 Noto earthquake in Japan. She recalled the way President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) referred to the relationship between Taiwan and Japan as a “circle of good.”
Both sides emphasized the importance of upholding democratic values and jointly promoting peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the region.
