President Lai Ching-te noted the importance of city-to-city exchanges to the ongoing development of Taiwan’s partnership with Japan in remarks welcoming a delegation led by Mayor Tetsuo Setaka of Nikko City, Tochigi prefecture, July 8 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
The president noted that Taiwan and Japan are major partners that tackle challenges together, adding that following the devastating earthquake in eastern Japan in 2011, he led a delegation to Nikko in his capacity as mayor of Tainan City to support local tourism. Lai also recognized Nikko’s fundraising campaigns in Tainan and Hualien County after the regions experienced devastating earthquakes in 2016 and 2024 respectively.
The two countries also actively collaborate on cultural and economic matters in addition to technology, trade and the travel industry, Lai said. He added that 2025 saw bilateral trade volume exceed US$84.8 billion, up 17.36% from the year before, while the number of reciprocal visits surpassed 8.21 million, setting a record high.
According to the PO, Setaka responded that he took volunteers and representatives from Nikko’s travel agencies to Tainan the previous day out of concern for the city’s recovery after earthquakes and typhoons last year. The PO said he noted the 17-year bond the two cities have built by promoting mutual tourism and looked forward to further deepening ties to jointly advance exchanges in culture, economy and sports. (POC-E)
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The president noted that Taiwan and Japan are major partners that tackle challenges together, adding that following the devastating earthquake in eastern Japan in 2011, he led a delegation to Nikko in his capacity as mayor of Tainan City to support local tourism. Lai also recognized Nikko’s fundraising campaigns in Tainan and Hualien County after the regions experienced devastating earthquakes in 2016 and 2024 respectively.
The two countries also actively collaborate on cultural and economic matters in addition to technology, trade and the travel industry, Lai said. He added that 2025 saw bilateral trade volume exceed US$84.8 billion, up 17.36% from the year before, while the number of reciprocal visits surpassed 8.21 million, setting a record high.
According to the PO, Setaka responded that he took volunteers and representatives from Nikko’s travel agencies to Tainan the previous day out of concern for the city’s recovery after earthquakes and typhoons last year. The PO said he noted the 17-year bond the two cities have built by promoting mutual tourism and looked forward to further deepening ties to jointly advance exchanges in culture, economy and sports. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News