Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) All three Taiwanese presidential candidates are highly experienced and qualified for the job, a visiting Japanese parliamentarian said Tuesday after meeting them while in Taipei to attend the Republic of China (Taiwan) National Day celebrations.
“All three presidential candidates have a lot of experience and have won their party primaries or were picked by their respective party, so they are equally impressive,” Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council Chairman Keiji Furuya said at a press briefing.
The senior member of the Diet said it was not for him to decide who would be the better choice for Taiwan’s next leader as the decision is for all Taiwanese voters to make in January 2024.
“A country’s future leader is supposed to be decided by its citizens. This is what a mature democracy does,” the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said when asked by reporters to comment on the candidates.
Most importantly, Furuya said, no matter who wins next year’s election, that person will be responsible for safeguarding the peace and security of Taiwan.
The Taiwan Strait has become a widely discussed topic in recent years, which is why Taiwan’s peace and security is important not only to Taiwan itself but to the rest of the world, he said.
Furuya has led a group of more than 40 Japanese lawmakers on a visit to Taiwan that began on Oct. 7 to participate in National Day celebrations.
The group was scheduled to leave Taiwan later Tuesday, though Furuya himself will stay a few days longer to speak at the Yushan Forum being held Oct. 11-12.
During the trip, Furaya held separate meetings with New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (???), Kuomintang presidential candidate, Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (???), and Vice President Lai Ching-te (???), the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential pick.
The 70-year-old Japanese politician is the chair of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, a cross-party parliamentary group comprising about 270 members with the aim of promoting Japan-Taiwan relations.
According to Furuya, this year marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, which is why his council decided to form the largest ever delegation to participate in the ROC’s National Day celebrations.
As Japan does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the council has played a crucial role in Taiwan-Japan exchanges for the past 50 years, he said.