The Foreign Ministry says exchanges between Taiwan and Japan have been on the rise as COVID-related restrictions loosen. The ministry said on Tuesday that lifting border controls and resuming visa-free status for Japanese visitors have helped build stronger connections. Still, 48 Japanese parliamentarians visited Taiwan last year despite the pandemic.
Taiwan-Japan Relations Association deputy head Fan Chen-kuo (范振國) says two more Japanese parliamentary delegations are scheduled to visit Taiwan in January. Fan says he hopes that the frequency of visits will resume to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, Taiwan is scheduled to hold a round of fisheries meetings with Japan in Tokyo later this month. The Taiwan-Japan Fishery Committee talks have been suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meetings are in place to resolve disputes in overlapping waters between the two countries.