Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweight Frank Hsieh has confirmed his appointment as Taiwan’s new representative to Japan.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Hsieh said he aims to improve cultural and economic ties between Taiwan and Japan. He also said he hopes that Taiwan will one day become a strategic partner for Japan.
Hsieh said the current government has done a good job expressing Taiwan’s position regarding Japan’s recent seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat. However, he also said that the Taiwan-Japan fisheries agreement has room for improvement.
"The fishermen are the vulnerable ones, and the [Japanese] government should not have acted directly against the fishermen," said Hsieh. "The two governments should discuss and resolve the issue, and they shouldn’t create problems for the fishermen. They are vulnerable, and using force against them would cause much anger."