Leading Taiwanese politicians visited Japan’s unofficial embassy in Taipei on Monday to mourn Shinzo Abe.
President Tsai Ing-wen ordered Taiwan’s flags to be flown at half mast on Monday morning. It’s to remember former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was shot dead at a campaign event last Friday.
Japan’s unofficial embassy in Taipei organized a standing memorial for the late Abe. On Monday morning, President Tsai arrived with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu to pay respects to Abe. The president says that Abe strengthened the two countries’ relationship, and that he will always be a friend of Taiwan.
Premier Su Tseng-chang and Health Minister Chen Shih-chung also came to mourn Abe. Su says that the former prime minister played a vital role in Japan donating COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, when Taiwan needed them the most.
Chen says Abe always backed Taiwan’s participation in international health organizations.
Abe’s death has sent shockwaves through the country. Japan has lost its longest-serving prime minister and Taiwan — an important ally.