Taiwan Vice President Attends Abe’s Funeral, Beijing Complains

Taiwan's Vice President William Lai leaves after the funeral of the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, at Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan July 12, 2022. Reuters/Issei Kato

Taiwan Vice President William Lai visited Japan to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, much to the displeasure of Beijing.

Abe was gunned down while giving a campaign speech in the Japanese city of Nara on July 8.

Lai attended the funeral at Tokyo’s Zojoji temple, along with Abe’s relatives, foreign dignitaries, and close acquaintances.

Lai and Taiwan’s Ambassador to Japan Frank C.T. Hsieh earlier on Monday visited Abe’s home in Tokyo to offer condolences.

Lai is the highest-ranking official to visit Japan since Tokyo cut off diplomatic ties with Taipei (Republic of China) in 1972 and established official relations with Beijing (People’s Republic of China).

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference on Tuesday that Lai’s visit was in a private capacity to pay respect to Abe as a friend.

Lai returned to Taiwan on Tuesday evening. He did not make any remarks during this trip but only nodded to the media at the airport.

People watch the hearse transporting the body of late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as it leaves Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan, on July 12, 2022. Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

‘Diplomatic Breakthrough’

Akio Yaita, director of the Taipei office of Japanese media Sankei Shimbun, who was stationed in Beijing for 10 years, pointed out that Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Taiwan’s president, vice president, chief executive, and foreign minister cannot visit Japan by convention.

“This (Lai’s visit) is the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in the 50 years since Japan and Taiwan cut off diplomatic relations in 1972,” Akio Yaita said.

“It also shows that Prime Minister Kishida has not only inherited Prime Minister Abe’s policy of supporting Taiwan but has also taken a big step forward.”

Lin Fei-fan, deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that Lai’s visit to Japan is “friendship diplomacy”.

“Although the interactions between Taiwan and Japan are based on diplomatic strategic considerations, friendship and mutual trust in peacetime have played an important role as well,” Lin said.

Chinese Regime Complains

In response to Lai attending Abe’s funeral, the Chinese communist regime lodged solemn representations to Japan.

“After the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Abe, the Taiwanese DPP government used the opportunity to engage in political manipulation and petty tricks. This kind of scheming will not succeed,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

Wang also said that Taiwan was part of China and that “there is no such thing as a vice president”.

The Chinese communist regime has claimed that the self-rule island (formally known as the Republic of China) was its territory and has made threats to invade Taiwan in the name of “unification with the mainland”. Zhong Yuan contributed to the report.