Japan urged to view Taiwan differently

National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Su Chi said that Japan is now a "new Japan," as the ruling party has changed and "Japanese society and the younger generation looks at international affairs and Japan's role in Asia differently."

Taiwan has changed, too, he went on, adding that "Taiwan has become democratic with an open environment for the media and many different voices, while the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) has also changed."

Therefore, "new Taiwan and new Japan should engage in a new relationship," he told Japanese reporters at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also said that "if Japanese friends consider Taiwan to be the same as it was in the 1990s or earlier, they will be making a very big mistake."

The KMT, which formerly governed the country between 1945 and 2000, returned to power in May last year.

His remarks came in the wake of Masaki Saito's resignation early this month as Japan's representative to Taipei following controversial remarks he made on the "undetermined status" of Taiwan.

Saito was replaced by Tadashi Imai, a move Su said is very welcomed by the Taiwanese government.

He also dismissed reports that the council's senior advisor, Philip Yang, had been replaced by Lee Chia-chin, saying that Lee is in fact working with Yang on Japan affairs.

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