Taiwan, Japan sign two deals on customs cooperation, digital trade

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) Taiwan and Japan on Thursday signed two deals designed to enhance cooperation in customs and digital trade during an annual bilateral conference held in Taipei.

The two pacts -- one memorandum of understanding (MOU) on regional customs cooperation and a digital trade agreement -- were signed by Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), chairman of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (TJRA), and Shuzo Sumi, the chair of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), during the 49th Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference.

TJRA and JTEA represent Taipei and Tokyo's interests in each other's countries in the absence of official diplomatic ties.

According to the two organizations, the customs cooperation MOU will facilitate collaboration between the Port of Kaohsiung and the Port of Kobe to improve customs clearance.

The digital trade cooperation deal aims to create "a free, open and safe digital trade environment to promote closer cooperation for consumers and businesses," the organizations said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Su accused Beijing of engaging in ongoing economic coercion against Tokyo over recent remarks by Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, about Japan's potential response to a Taiwan contingency.

Takaichi said recently that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would count as a situation threatening Japan's survival and thus could warrant a military response from Tokyo, which drew an angry reaction from Beijing.

Su said that China has repeatedly taken similar actions against Taiwan, citing China's 2021 ban on Taiwanese pineapple imports, which many in Taiwan believed was politically motivated, as an example.

He added that in moments like these, Taiwan and Japan look for ways to show solidarity with each other.

In an apparent reference to Beijing's retaliatory actions, Sumi said some actor "is trying to use military and other means of coercion to unilaterally change the status quo."

China's actions against Japan have included travel and study advisories, a ban on Japanese marine products, and multiple rounds of military drills.

Sumi, who attended the conference for the first time since taking office as JTEA head in June, added that Taiwan is Japan's "important partner and cherished friend" with shared democratic values and close people-to-people ties.