Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2016
By: Sean Lin and Chang Mao-sen / Staff reporters
Taipei City councilors are to form a nonpartisan “friends of Japan” alliance to
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, second right, walks through a fish market in Tokyo yesterday. Photo: CNA
deepen mutual ties on a city level, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said, while his Japan policies would be similar to those expected of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Ko made the remarks yesterday in response to media queries about whether the hospitality he had received from Japanese dignitaries since arriving in Tokyo on Sunday meant he would endeavor to further relations between Taiwan and Japan, given warm receptions received by himself and Tsai.
He said he hopes that Taipei and Tokyo would boost their level of exchanges with the establishment of the cross-party alliance, thereby improving bilateral ties between the two nations.
DPP Taipei City councilor Liu Yao-jen (劉耀仁), a member of Ko’s delegation, said Japan’s mentality toward Taiwan had “changed for the better” thanks to the shift in political power after the presidential election on Jan. 16, while the DPP Taipei City Council caucus would seek to build on the newfound momentum to further mutual exchanges by lobbying for the establishment of the alliance. [FULL STORY]
