TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Wednesday that Taiwan and Japan reached record highs in bilateral trade and two-way travel last year.
Meeting Nikko Mayor Setaka Tetsuo and his delegation at the Presidential Office, Lai said bilateral trade exceeded NT$2.7 trillion (US$84.8 billion) last year, up 17.36% from a year earlier, while two-way visits topped 8.21 million, both record highs, per Liberty Times. He said the figures show growing cooperation in trade and tourism.
Lai said the longstanding friendship between Tainan and Nikko has helped strengthen Taiwan-Japan ties, per CNA. He noted the two cities signed a tourism friendship agreement in 2009 and have supported each other following major disasters, including the 2011 Tokoku earthquake and earthquakes in Taiwan.
Lai said Taiwan and Japan have continued to stand together through challenges such as earthquakes, typhoons, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he hoped Setaka’s visit will create more opportunities and make city-to-city exchanges an even stronger driver of bilateral relations.
Setaka said he led a delegation of about 80 residents and tourism representatives to Taiwan, including Tainan, to reaffirm the friendship between the two cities. He said Nikko residents remain grateful for Lai’s visit after the 2011 earthquake and hope to deepen exchanges in tourism and culture development.
