Japanese official Mitsuo Ohashi has thanked Legislature President Su Jia-chyuan for Taiwan’s assistance to Japan after the Kumamoto earthquake in March.
Ohashi is head of the Interchange Association, Japan, the organization responsible for managing Japan’s unofficial relationship with Taiwan. Legislature President Su Jia-chyuan is in Japan at the head of a Taiwanese delegation. Before a meeting with Ohashi on Tuesday, Su delivered more than NT$24 million (US$760,000) in earthquake reconstruction funds donated by Taiwan’s public.
During the meeting, Ohashi thanked Taiwan and said he hopes that Japan-Taiwan relations become a model for international friendship. He also said that he looks forward to working with Taiwan’s new representative to Japan, Frank Hsieh.
Su said Japan has assisted Taiwan after disasters including the Kaohsiung gas explosions in 2014, the fire at a water park party last year, and February’s earthquake in Tainan. Su said this mutual aid shows the closeness of ties between the people of Taiwan and Japan.