Ma hopes for good Taiwan-Japan relations

During a meeting with a Japanese House of Representatives delegation led by Keirou Kitagami, Ma noted that Japan is Taiwan's second-largest trade partner, while Taiwan is Japan's fourth-largest trade partner and Japan is a major source of foreign investment in Taiwan.

Ma said the delegation is the 65th Japanese group to visit Taiwan since he took office in May 2008, and that he is pleased to see more Japanese people visiting Taiwan.

He said that although Taiwan has no official diplomatic relations with Japan, the two countries share a special partnership.

The president also told the delegation that the two countries' relations have become closer over the past two years.

Last year, a number of breakthroughs in bilateral ties were achieved, including Taiwan's opening of a new representative office in Sapporo, the launch of a Taiwan-Japan working holiday program and the designation of 2009 as a year for the promotion of the special partnership between the two countries, he said.

Ma said that direct flights will be launched between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo in October, adding that the government is also planning to lend treasures held by the National Palace Museum for exhibition in Japan.

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