Japan’s government says that Saturday’s meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will not affect Taiwan’s role as an important economic partner for Japan.
During a routine press conference, Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga addressed questions about the meeting’s possible impact on regional safety and Taiwan’s relationship with Japan. He said that Taiwan and Japan share many of the same values and have established close economic ties based on mutual trust.
Mr. Suga also said that Japan has always supported direct conversation between China and Taiwan, and that peaceful cross-strait exchange could be beneficial to regional stability. Suga said that Japan will pay close attention to any future changes in the region, including Taiwan and China’s position on the Diaoyutai Islands. Taiwan and China have a joint claim to the islands, which are currently under Japanese administration.
Mr. Suga did not comment on the protests that took place in Taiwan before the meeting nor about the U.S.’s supportive stance on the meeting.