TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The office of Taiwan's former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) issued a firm denial on Friday regarding speculation about her travel plans, stating she has no intention to visit Japan. This statement comes in response to Japanese media reports claiming that Tsai had sought to visit Japan last July, a plan allegedly rejected by Japanese authorities wary of provoking China's ire in an already tense geopolitical landscape.
According to Thursday's report from Kyodo News (共同社), multiple sources with knowledge of the matter from both Taiwan and Japan disclosed that Tsai had planned to participate in a commemorative event for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The late Prime Minister, remembered for his assertion that "a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency," had previously connected with Tsai through video dialogue, establishing a diplomatic rapport that transcended formal relations between their governments.
The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly prioritized mending diplomatic ties with China, a strategic objective that influenced their decision regarding Tsai's proposed visit. Japanese officials apparently calculated that hosting Taiwan's former leader would trigger significant backlash from Beijing, potentially derailing delicate progress in Sino-Japanese relations that Kishida's government has been carefully cultivating.
The "Japan-R.O.C. Diet Members' Consultative Council" (日華議員懇談會), a cross-party parliamentary group formerly advised by Abe himself, had reportedly orchestrated the arrangements for Tsai's intended visit. Kyodo's report suggested that critics within Japan's political circles may interpret the government's hesitation as excessive deference to Beijing's sensitivities, highlighting the complex balancing act Tokyo faces between maintaining unofficial ties with Taipei while managing relations with an increasingly assertive China.
