Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry announced in a weekly press conference on Tuesday that Japan is sending a delegation of up to 37 dignitaries, including lawmakers, local government heads, and civilian representatives, to attend the upcoming presidential inauguration ceremony on May 20. The ministry states that their attendance shows Japan’s steadfast support for Taiwan.
The ministry notes that President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) have extensive connections throughout Japanese political and private sectors and value Taiwan’s relations with Japan.
The ministry’s Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chih-jen (陳志任) told reporters that the delegation includes former cabinet members and the number of Japanese attendees this time is expected to reach a historic high.
Chen refuted rumors that the ceremony would not be attended by any high-ranking Japanese government officials, as reported by some media outlets. He further stated that the delegation’s presence demonstrates Japan’s high regard for Taiwan’s new government.
The ministry expresses their warm welcome to all the attendees to the ceremony, stating that it will do its best to accommodate all distinguished guests. According to the Foreign Ministry, in addition to the government delegation, the ceremony will also be joined by 15 other Japanese organizations with an estimated total of 140 attendees.