Tokyo, June 22 (CNA) A newly appointed Japanese official responsible for ties with Taiwan on Thursday called on Frank Hsieh, Taiwan's representative to Japan, to exchange views on improving bilateral relations.
Yasuaki Tanizaki, who on Monday took the reins of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, formerly known as the Interchange Association, Japan, along with his predecessor Tadashi Imai and Michi Kakizawa, director of general affairs of the association met with Hsieh at Taiwan's representative office in Tokyo.
Earlier this year, the Japan Interchange Association, responsible for maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan, changed its name to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.
At the beginning of the meeting, Hsieh extended a warm welcome to the visitors and congratulations to Tanizaki for his new appointment, while expressing gratitude to Imai for advancing relations between the two countries during his tenure as Japan's chief representative in Taiwan.
For his part, Tanizaki said he was touched after hearing about the assistance offered by Taiwan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011 when he was Japan's ambassador to Vietnam.
Tanizaki said he was pleased to learn that travel between Taiwan and Japan has reached 6 million tourists, adding that this shows the close ties between the two countries and promised to work to strengthen bilateral relations.
Hsieh also said he hoped the two countries would work together to improve ties further based on their current warming relationship.
The two also exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including fishery cooperation, the cross-strait situation, Taiwan-Japan-U.S. relations, Taiwan's desire to participate in international organizations such as the World Health Organization, and the Taiwanese government's new southbound policy.
Tanizaki is a senior career diplomat who began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1975.
