Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/03
By: Tang Pei-chun and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) The renaming of Japan’s representative office in Taiwan to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association is aimed at advancing already close Japan-Taiwan relations, said Mikio Numata, Japan’s representative to Taiwan, at Tuesday’s unveiling ceremony of the new name plaque.

The hope for closer relations was symbolized by adding “Taiwan” to the name of the office, which used to be known as the Taipei Office of the Interchange Association, Japan, Numata said.

The office is responsible for de facto diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties. Its counterpart in Japan is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office.

Numata said that while Japan and Taiwan have made remarkable progress in developing their relations over the past 45 years, a survey conducted last year found that only a few people in Taiwan were aware of the association’s existence.   [FULL  STORY]