台湾対日機関会長與日本官房長官會面

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

台湾の対日機関会長、官房長官と面会…断交後初

【台北＝比嘉清太】台湾の対日窓口機関「亜東関係協会」の李嘉進会長は１０日、訪日中の今月８日、首相官邸で菅官房長官に面会したことを明らかにした。

　李氏によると、日本と台湾が外交関係を断絶した１９７２年に設立された同協会のトップが日本の主要閣僚と面会したのは初めて。

　面会は数分程度で、沖縄県・尖閣諸島周辺海域での操業ルールをめぐる日台漁業交渉が今年４月に妥結したことについて「安倍首相への感謝」などを菅官房長官に伝えた。

　馬英九(マーインジウ)総統に近い李氏は、今年５月に同協会会長に就任。今月４～９日の間、就任後初めて訪日し、この間、小泉進次郎・自民党青年局長とも会ったという。

（2013年8月10日20時16分 読売新聞）

 (試譯文)

On the 10^th it was made clear that Li Jiajin, the Chairman of the "East Asia Relations Association" of Taiwan which was an agency to contact Japan, had met Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga in the Prime Minister's official residence on the 8th of this month (August) during a visit to Japan.

   According to Mr. Li, this was the first time that top personnel of the association, established in 1972 when Japan and Taiwan severed diplomatic relations, to meet with a key Japanese Cabinet Minister.

   At the meeting for a few minutes the "gratitude to Prime Minister Abe" etc. was conveyed via the Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga regarding the conclusion of an agreement in April this year during the Japanese Taiwan fishery negotiations which involved the operation rules in ocean area surrounding Okinawa and the Senkaku Islands.

   Mr. Li, who was closely connected to President Ma Ying-jeou, was inaugurated as the association’s president in May this year. This month for the first time he visited Japan during 4^th to 9^th after his assumption of office, and it was said that he also met with the Liberal Democratic Party youth bureau chief, Koizumi Shinjirou during this period.

It seems that Japan is trying to strengthen its ties with Taiwan.