76% in Japan see good relationship

MOFA spokesman Henry Chen said the poll, conducted by U.S.-based polling company Gallup, Inc. from April 10-19, was part of the ministry's efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, as Taiwan has designated 2009 as a year to bolster the country's special partnership with Japan.

“The poll will serve as an important reference for the government's promotion of bilateral ties,” Chen said.

The survey showed that 76 percent of respondents found Japan-Taiwan relations “good,” of which 11 percent labeled bilateral ties as “very good,” and 56 percent of those polled said they feel close to Taiwan.

While 61 percent of the Japanese respondents expressed interest in visiting Taiwan, 82 percent said they have never set foot in the country.

Allowed to choose more than one area where exchanges between the two countries should be further promoted, 82 percent chose “tourism,” 79 percent cited “culture,” 76 percent picked “the economy,” 72 percent chose “youth exchanges” and 59 percent said “politics.”

Despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Japan, the two countries have traditionally maintained very close substantive relations.

Japan was Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, and Taiwan was Japan's fifth-largest trading partner in 2008, with bilateral trade totaling US$64 billion for the year.

The high level of travel between the two countries also reflects close bilateral relations. An average of 2.5 million people travel between the two countries each year.

The poll was conducted by telephone and interviewed 1,000 Japanese over the age of 20.

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