TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japanese Representative to Taiwan Hiroyasu Izumi said during a recent interview that the relationship between Japan and Taiwan shall not be compromised by its ties to China.

The progress of Japan’s relations with China should not hinder the development of Japan’s relationship with Taiwan, said Hiroyasu, who became the head of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office last November. Taiwan and Japan maintain close economic ties, share fundamental values, and their people have been important partners and valuable friends, said the representative in an interview with CNA.

Relations between China and Japan have been mending somewhat in recent years, which raises a question of whether Japan’s relationship with the island nation will be undermined accordingly. Hiroyasu said Japan-China relations remain critical, as the bilateral relationship is influential in regional and global stability.

Having served as a career diplomat for nearly four decades, Hiroyasu, who is now serving as an ambassador in the de-facto Japanese embassy in Taiwan, pledged to continue promoting people-to-people and economic ties between the two nations. He said he will continue to push forward cultural exchanges so that younger generations of Taiwanese will further understand Japan and be fond of the nation.

As for promoting economic ties, the representative expressed his country’s interest in collaborating with Taiwan as the island country has been exploring business and investment opportunities in the Southeastern nations in recent years. Taiwan’s economy is rather competitive, and there is great potential for the island to play a more important role in the international community, said the representative.