Ling Media Future Event Book Series Column/What are the key points of Taiwan-Japan relations after 520?Waseda Taiwan Research Institute gives an explanation

Wang Keyin/TV International Program Producer

What is the focus of Taiwan-Japan relations after May 20? Is Taiwan-Japan relations the best diplomatic item for the new president? This is a question worth discussing. Few people are willing to think about this issue. Taiwan-Japan relations are capped by the four characters “Taiwan-Japan Friendship”, so news reports are narrowed, reporting good news but not bad news. I wonder if it is because of the “there is nothing new under the sun” mentality. In fact, The relationship between Taiwan and Japan is quite complex.

Hsieh Chang-ting, Ambassador to Japan, will be in office for eight years, breaking the record of all previous representatives in Japan after the democratization of the Republic of China. It is not easy to stay for eight years. I once heard a misunderstanding that being in Japan means three diplomatic meals a day. It is important, but diplomatic banquets are not just about feasting on Japanese food and drinking precious 14th generation sake; being able to speak Japanese does not mean understanding the Japanese, and understanding the Japanese does not mean being able to gain face for the country in negotiations. The Republic of China The work in Japan must compete with Beijing in many aspects. The embassy in Beijing is large and numerous, and the diplomats are well-trained and have thousands of faces. Even in Japan, they have not changed their thinking that diplomacy is a battlefield. Sometimes they greet people with a smile and are amiable, but they suddenly use a stick. Suppress until the end.

Last year (112), Hua Ken visited Taiwan to celebrate the National Day. Nearly 50 members of Congress came. He entered Taiwan on October 9. He attended the National Day ceremony on the morning of October 10 and left in the afternoon. At the press conference before leaving Taiwan, he also served as the president. Representative of the Liberal Democratic Party, Keiji Furuya, reiterated the high-speed rail procurement case. Originally, Japanese companies had a strong competitive relationship with Germany’s Siemens, which was basically a private issue. However, Furuya changed the subject and quoted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s speech, “This is It is not a matter between people, but a matter between Japan and Taiwan.” “Don’t just look at the amount, Japan’s high-speed rail technology is the best in the world.” The topic Furuya touches on is the deep water area of ​​Taiwan-Japan relations. It is a bit harsh, and the lack of media coverage is puzzling.

Another “Diplomatic Dinner” on February 26, 2024 was also interesting. The “His Majesty the Emperor’s Birthday Celebration Reception” was reduced in size during the epidemic. This year, more than 600 distinguished guests were invited. It was rare for the President and Vice President to share the stage. Director of AIT Sun Xiaoya also attended the venue in person. More than 600 envoys from various countries in the business and academic circles came, and senior national security officials were also present. The United States and Japan held two important diplomatic dinners in Taiwan. The Japanese side held a reception on July 7 after the Lunar New Year. On the other hand, on the surface, it was a toast to eat and drink, but the scene was well known. This time, the Japanese side showed considerable ambition, and all walks of life in Taiwan responded positively. This is partly due to the good reputation passed down by Representative Xie.

It is understood that Representative Xie frequently went to cities, towns and villages to build relationships. These grassroots representatives or leaders communicated Taiwan’s affairs from the bottom up, allowing governors, constituency senators and representatives to pay attention to Taiwan’s voice. Over the years, quantitative changes have led to qualitative changes, and Beijing has actively contacted Congressman, Taiwan is fighting on multiple fronts. Some pro-Taiwan factions in the Japanese House of Representatives and Senate are unwilling to come to the surface. This does not mean that they will not help Taiwan in private. Representative Xie is willing to move around, so Japanese politicians also return the favor by traveling to Taiwan frequently.

No diplomat wants to score points in government affairs, and working in Japan is certainly not an exception. However, when promoting the Republic of China’s business in Japan, one must know how to deal with Beijing. It seems to be the norm for Taiwan’s local government to sign self-government and sister city agreements with Japan, but the levels are inevitably unequal. , cities, towns and villages should connect with towns and cities, but Japanese cities, towns and villages can often directly negotiate with our county heads and mayors. This is our flexibility, but also our helplessness. In fact, most of Japan’s county-level municipalities have their own offices in Shanghai, mainland China. The office has no communication links. Compared with this, Japanese governors come to Taiwan less often, while county councilors and lower-level city, town, and village administrative officials come more. There are Chinese factors behind this. For example, Taiwanese are well-known Niigata Prefecture is famous for its moonlight rice and sake. However, Niigata Prefecture is very careful in its interactions with Taiwan. The Chinese Consulate General in Niigata is very concerned about it.

In a “generally friendly” atmosphere, is there no suspense in Taiwan-Japan relations? Mason Naoyuki, director of the Taiwan Institute at Waseda University, believes that overall, Japanese people are becoming more and more concerned about Taiwanese politics. The general public has the impression that the DPP is pro-Japanese, and they also have certain expectations for the new regime. On the other hand, Japan’s main island and What is between Taiwan and Okinawa should be treated with special caution. The issue of US military bases is very important to Okinawans. Taiwanese may also think it is important, but Taiwanese and Okinawans have “completely opposite” views on US military bases.

Mason Naoyuki further explained that historically, both Taiwan and Okinawa were under the rule of the Japanese Empire. Now the Okinawans have a very strong feeling of not wanting to be involved in the war, and they have begun to doubt that as the Taiwan faction (Taiwanese independence faction) expands its territory, the continued There is a certain degree of wariness about whether taking power means that it will lead to war. Even if Japan has not yet had such an idea, Okinawans’ skepticism is latent and has not really come to the surface yet. Japan’s main island still has a strong suspicion of China. Be careful, there is no guarantee that in the future, like the Okinawans, they will not turn to the idea of ​​​​”not getting involved in the war.”

Professor Mason Naoyuki has a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago. This time he was invited by Cai Xixun, professor of the Japanese Political and Economic Studies Master’s Program at the Department of Political Science and Economics at Tamkang University, to give a lecture. It was not about diplomatic meals and drinks. In just one week, he traveled all over the North, Central and South, including I-Shou University, National Chengchi University, Taichung University of Science and Technology, National Defense Academy, etc. The delegation members also included 5 Waseda undergraduates and graduate students. Waseda is a first-class university, and the Waseda Taiwan Institute is a center for Taiwan studies. After graduation, students become important pro-Taiwan factions. They say they will not become Japanese leaders like Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This time, the professor brought students back to visit. Facing the young generations of both sides, we must Tell the truth.

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Waseda student Suzuki asked: Japanese society has a high opinion of Taiwan’s democracy. When Taiwanese students look at Taiwan’s democracy, what do they think are problematic? Waseda’s classmates raised interesting questions. The value diplomacy that Taiwan and Japan officials often talk about is a bright and moving word. As the new president is about to take office, Taiwan and Japan need to make continuous adjustments in expectations and practices in order to deepen their partnership.

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