Former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association chair given presidential award

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Friday conferred a presidential award on Mitsuo Ohashi, former chair of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations.

During a ceremony in Taipei, Lai presented the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to Ohashi, who led the JTEA for 14 years, praising him as "a model of Taiwan-Japan friendship," according to a Presidential Office news release.

The president thanked Ohashi for his unwavering dedication to promoting bilateral ties, noting that during his tenure, Taipei and Tokyo had signed over 50 agreements on trade and economics, fisheries and taxation.

He also credited Ohashi's efforts with helping institutionalize Taiwan-Japan ties, notably through the 2017 renaming of the JTEA and its Taiwanese counterpart, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, to include the word "Taiwan."

Looking ahead, Lai expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan would further strengthen their relations by accelerating talks on an economic partnership agreement and collaborating in key sectors such as semiconductors, energy and artificial intelligence.

In his remarks, Ohashi said he is proud of the close ties between Taiwan and Japan, particularly in the midst of growing international geopolitical tensions, according to the news release.

Ohashi, who was on a short visit to Taiwan on Thursday and Friday, said he would continue to promote peace in his role as head of the Japan branch of the World Federalist Movement, an organization dedicated to advancing global cooperation and democratic governance.

Ohashi was succeeded by Shuzo Sumi, the former head of Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., as the JTEA chair -- a primarily ceremonial role -- on June 20.

The JTEA is headquartered in Tokyo and has offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Its Taipei office functions as the de facto Japanese embassy in Taiwan, and its current representative is Kazuyuki Katayama.