Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/18/2020
By: Yu Hsiang, Yang Ming-chu
and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) Japan's new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, is hoping to talk to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) by phone, a former Japanese leader said during his meeting with Tsai at the Presidential Office on Friday.

On a two-day trip to Taiwan to attend the official memorial service for late President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), ex-Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said Suga called him Thursday to send his greetings to Tsai and express interest in talking to her by phone if there is an opportunity.

If that were to happen, it would be the first direct conversation between the incumbent leaders of the two countries since formal diplomatic ties were severed in 1972.

During the 30-minute meeting with Mori, Tsai said she hoped Taiwan-Japan ties will continue to deepen in all areas, and congratulated Suga on his election as Japan's new prime minister earlier this week.    [FULL  STORY]