TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A delegation of 14 Taiwanese lawmakers led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) headed for Japan on Saturday (March 10) to attend the 52nd Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians' Union (APPU) general assembly, which begins Monday.
This is the first diplomatic mission of the new parliament, Chiang said, per CNA. The main topics of discussion will focus on climate change, especially how to prevent and mitigate large-scale disasters, he said. Taiwan has experience and expertise in this area and hopes to share with other countries, he said.
The group will also visit the major Japanese political parties and officials. Taiwan and Japan have deep and close relations in economy, culture, and security, Chiang said. Through exchanges between bipartisan parliamentarians, bilateral relations can hopefully be further strengthened, he added.
APU was founded in 1965 and works towards “achieving and preserving freedom and democracy, thereby securing peace and prosperity in Asia,” according to its website. Taiwan hosted the 49th general assembly in 2019, which was themed “Oceans of Democracy and a Sustainable Indo-Pacific.”