U.S., Japan envoys reaffirm Taiwan ties on 25th anniversary of 921 earthquake

Taipei, Sept. 21 (CNA) The representatives of the United States and Japan to Taiwan on Saturday highlighted the mutual assistance among the three sides in times of difficulty as they commemorated the disastrous "921 earthquake" that jolted central Taiwan 25 years ago.

In a pre-recorded video released on Saturday, Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei main office, and his Japanese counterpart Kazuyuki Katayama from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, said that Taiwan, Japan and the U.S. "are stronger" when they "unite together."

The two officials said over the years when any of the three sides had been hit by natural disasters and health crises, the other two would quickly come to its aid by providing relief and sending in rescue teams.

They recounted events such as the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck central Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999, causing serious damage and casualties across Taiwan, and the massive earthquake in Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011, which triggered a tsunami that subsequently led to meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.

They also recalled that when COVID-19 swept across the world in 2020, Taiwan provided hundreds of thousands of protective masks to the U.S. and Japan, both of which later donated vaccine doses to Taiwan when it faced shortages.

Greene said the U.S., Japan and Taiwan are "strong partners" that "respect democracy and human rights," and their close cooperation and mutual assistance have "further strengthened the ties" among the people from the three sides.

Katayama, meanwhile, said working hand in hand, the three sides could overcome the threats brought about by natural disasters and pandemics.

The AIT and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association represent their respective country's interests in Taiwan and function as de facto embassies in the absence of formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.