ID :
19287
Fri, 09/12/2008 - 21:46
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/19287
The shortlink copeid
Envoys from Taiwan, Japan meet in symbolic nod to bilateral ties
TAINAN, Taiwan, Sept. 12 Kyodo - The Taiwanese and Japanese de facto ambassadors to each other's countries met informally here Friday in one of the clearest signs yet that Taipei-Tokyo ties
are recovering after hitting a low point just months ago.
A sovereignty spat that sent bilateral relations reeling in June was set aside as Taiwan's newly appointed envoy to Japan, John Feng, met with his Japanese counterpart at a site chosen to play up that recovery.
''I had to come here...to better understand why the Taiwanese have historically had warm feelings toward Japan,'' Feng said, referring to the Wusantou Reservoir, a Japanese colonial-era engineering feat that has tamed Taiwan's southern waters since 1930.
Accompanying Feng was Masaki Saito, Japan's newly arrived envoy to Taiwan.
Both men had few remarks for the press, preferring to showcase their quiet rapport as a symbol of warm bilateral ties rather than pay lip service to that relationship.
''I have been a diplomat for many years now,'' Feng told reporters. ''I know when to speak and when not to, and now isn't the time to speak.''
Saito was similarly tightlipped but appeared in high spirits as he joined Feng in paying respects to the burial site of the Japanese engineer who oversaw the construction of the reservoir.
Feng and Saito, although seasoned diplomats, are new to their posts and newcomers to managing relations between Taipei and Tokyo.
Sparking the row was a Japanese patrol vessel that rammed and sank a Taiwanese fishing boat near the Senkakus, a chain of Japan-administered islets rich in fishery resources and, possibly, natural gas deposits.
Taiwan, which calls the islets the Tiaoyutai, also lays claim to them and insists its vessels should be allowed access to nearby waters.
No serious injuries were reported in the June 10 collision, which reignited the sovereignty dispute leading to Taipei's recall of its last appointed envoy to Tokyo and blustery talk from political heavyweights here.
But Feng's appointment -- although not formally announced yet -- apparently marks a turning point, with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou setting aside the issue of the Senkakus and focusing on repairing relations with Japan.
Feng, 62, was formerly Taiwan's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, one of the island's few official allies, and is considered a close aide of Ma. His posting, according to the Foreign Ministry, will be formally announced in a matter of weeks, with the new envoy arriving in Tokyo by next month.
Saito, for his part, arrived in Taipei in mid-July, and has treaded carefully to avoid further squabbling over the Senkakus.
Friday's outing, Feng said, came at the request of Ma, who typically cites the reservoir and its creator, Yoichi Hatta, as powerful symbols of Japanese goodwill. Hatta's reservoir and irrigation system reportedly benefited up to a million local farmers in and near the southern city of Tainan.
Japan ruled Taiwan as its first colony from 1895 to 1945, and is often credited for its public works projects and education system on the island.
are recovering after hitting a low point just months ago.
A sovereignty spat that sent bilateral relations reeling in June was set aside as Taiwan's newly appointed envoy to Japan, John Feng, met with his Japanese counterpart at a site chosen to play up that recovery.
''I had to come here...to better understand why the Taiwanese have historically had warm feelings toward Japan,'' Feng said, referring to the Wusantou Reservoir, a Japanese colonial-era engineering feat that has tamed Taiwan's southern waters since 1930.
Accompanying Feng was Masaki Saito, Japan's newly arrived envoy to Taiwan.
Both men had few remarks for the press, preferring to showcase their quiet rapport as a symbol of warm bilateral ties rather than pay lip service to that relationship.
''I have been a diplomat for many years now,'' Feng told reporters. ''I know when to speak and when not to, and now isn't the time to speak.''
Saito was similarly tightlipped but appeared in high spirits as he joined Feng in paying respects to the burial site of the Japanese engineer who oversaw the construction of the reservoir.
Feng and Saito, although seasoned diplomats, are new to their posts and newcomers to managing relations between Taipei and Tokyo.
Sparking the row was a Japanese patrol vessel that rammed and sank a Taiwanese fishing boat near the Senkakus, a chain of Japan-administered islets rich in fishery resources and, possibly, natural gas deposits.
Taiwan, which calls the islets the Tiaoyutai, also lays claim to them and insists its vessels should be allowed access to nearby waters.
No serious injuries were reported in the June 10 collision, which reignited the sovereignty dispute leading to Taipei's recall of its last appointed envoy to Tokyo and blustery talk from political heavyweights here.
But Feng's appointment -- although not formally announced yet -- apparently marks a turning point, with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou setting aside the issue of the Senkakus and focusing on repairing relations with Japan.
Feng, 62, was formerly Taiwan's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, one of the island's few official allies, and is considered a close aide of Ma. His posting, according to the Foreign Ministry, will be formally announced in a matter of weeks, with the new envoy arriving in Tokyo by next month.
Saito, for his part, arrived in Taipei in mid-July, and has treaded carefully to avoid further squabbling over the Senkakus.
Friday's outing, Feng said, came at the request of Ma, who typically cites the reservoir and its creator, Yoichi Hatta, as powerful symbols of Japanese goodwill. Hatta's reservoir and irrigation system reportedly benefited up to a million local farmers in and near the southern city of Tainan.
Japan ruled Taiwan as its first colony from 1895 to 1945, and is often credited for its public works projects and education system on the island.
