Beijing Wednesday expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Japan’s decision to change the name of its embassy in the Republic of China, including the word “Taiwan.”
Japan Exchange Association announced that it will be renamed the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, on January 1, the Taiwan government as a positive sign of bilateral relations.
“The association will continue to serve as a bridge between Taiwan and Japan to bring bilateral relations to the next stage.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying described the change as a “passive measure” on Japan’s question of Taiwan and called on Japan to uphold the “one China” policy.
China says Beijing has called for negotiations with the Japanese government on the change.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomed the association’s decision to signify that the change is a closer two-way relationship.
“The name change is to reflect the essence of the Association’s function in Taiwan and is seen as a positive sign in bilateral relations.
The foreign ministry said Japan is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner and Taiwan is Japan’s fourth largest trading partner. MOFA said bilateral trade in 2015 totaled nearly $ 57 billion.
Bilateral trips are expected to reach DM 6 million this year, the ministry said, adding that these figures indicate a close bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Japan Exchange Association was established in 1972, in Tokyo and Taipei established diplomatic relations with Beijing for official diplomatic relations, become Taiwan’s de facto embassy. It is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung.
A person close to the incident told the local media that the name “Japan Exchange Association” was confusing because it did not specify a Japanese exchange entity.
More than a month ago, the proposal to change the name of the association took a few months to implement.
Its Taiwan rival is the Association of East Asian Relations, a quasi-official organization set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with bilateral affairs without official relations.
“Do not overreact”
Most Taiwan legislators and scholars have welcomed the changes that are coming.
DPP legislator Luo Zhicheng called this change an important and positive step in the “normalization” of relations between Taiwan and Taiwan.
He also called on Beijing not to “overreact” Japan’s decision to include the word “Taiwan” in its representative office.
“The association is private, not a government organization, so the name change is less sensitive,” he said.
He suggested that Taiwan’s East Asian Relations Association be renamed the Taiwan-Japan Exchange Association, so that the Japanese understand its true function.
