Premier promises packed venues for Japanese artists hit by China spat

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday said grateful Taiwanese fans would deliver "one sellout after another" for Japanese performers facing backlash in China after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could intervene if Taiwan were attacked.

"Prime Minister Takaichi's deeply moving remarks reflect the Japanese government and its people's commitment to justice and peace despite tremendous pressure," Cho said during a meeting with Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association head Shuzo Sumi in Taipei.

Takaichi's remarks sparked a string of retaliatory measures by Beijing, including discouraging tourism to Japan, suspending some Japanese seafood imports, and pressuring organizers to cancel or disrupt concerts in China by Japanese singers Ayumi Hamasaki and Maki Otsuki, among others.

Cho said the situation had prompted a shift among Taiwanese travelers, with many choosing Japan as their destination in a show of support.

He added that the show of solidarity extended to Japanese entertainers, saying performers targeted by China could expect a rapturous reception and sold-out shows in Taiwan.

Sumi, meanwhile, noted that at the 49th Taiwan-Japan Economic and Trade Conference on Thursday, the two sides had inked a memorandum of understanding on regional customs cooperation and a digital trade agreement, advancing bilateral cooperation.

He added that he will attend a Taiwan-Japan Third Market Business Cooperation Forum later in the day, which aims to forge partnerships between Taiwanese and Japanese businesses to jointly tap into foreign markets.