Kuo Kuo-wen, chairman of the Taiwan Legislative Yuan’s “Friendship Association of Taiwan’s Oriental Congressmen” and a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), revealed during a questioning in the Legislative Yuan today (9th) that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has the intention to visit Taiwan, probably next year at the earliest, and hopes that Executive Yuan President Su Tseng-chang will make an early response. Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tanaka Koung, also said, “The people are looking forward to this,” and “We are optimistic that this news will come true,” and also welcomed Abe’s visit to Taiwan.
The government has not received a formal answer from Abe, and if this happens, Japan-Taiwan relations will make great progress,” said Mr. Tanaka.
He also said that he would be happy to receive a letter of invitation from Abe, which he named on behalf of the association. Abe’s visit to Taiwan will take place as early as next year. Taiwan is looking forward to discussing Taiwan’s participation in the TPP and other issues with Abe.
In April 2015, Abe arranged for his younger brother, Representative Nobuo Kishi, then president of the Japan-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Exchanges for Younger Members of Parliament, to visit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan, where Nobuo Kishi had personally invited Tsai Ing-wen to visit his hometown of Yamaguchi Prefecture.
In early October 2015, Tsai, the DPP presidential candidate, visited Yamaguchi Prefecture, Abe’s hometown, and visited the LDP headquarters, where she was joined by LDP Chairman Hiroyuki Hosoda, Organization and Campaign Minister Yasuaki Yamaguchi, Acting Chairman Taifumi Tanahashi, and Acting Youth Director Hideki Makigahara. At 12:00, Abe went to a hotel near the Prime Minister’s residence to have lunch with his brother, Nobuo Kishi, and Yamaguchi Prefecture Governor Tsuzimasa Muraoka, for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Both Nobuo Kishi and Tsukasa Muraoka are people closely associated with Tsai’s visit to Japan, so the media speculated that Abe met with Tsai here.
All of this shows the importance that Abe’s cabinet places on Tsai and the high expectation that the DPP will return to power in the future.
After the death of Lee Teng-hui, Nobuo Kishi, his wife Kishi Chikako, and his eldest son Kishi Shinsei also went to pay their respects on August 9, and Abe’s mother Abe Yoko sent a message of condolence on August 4.
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