Republic of China–Japan relations

Japan-Taiwan relations are guided by the 1972 Japan-PRC Joint Communique. Both countries have a common historical enemy, and Japan has maintained non-governmental, working-level relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) ever since.

Joint Communique

Soon after US President Richard Nixon's visit to People's Republic of China in 1972 and the release of the "Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China" (Shanghai Communique), Kakuei Tanaka's Liberal Democratic Party-majority government decided to establish formal diplomacy with the PRC.

As a pre-condition to build tie between PRC and Japan, Japan abrogated Treaty of Taipei in relation to Taiwan. According to the "1972 Japan-China Joint Communique", the Government of Japan fully understands and respects the position of the Government of the People's Republic of China's position that Taiwan is an inalienable territory of the People's Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation [ [http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/china/joint72.html Joint Communique of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China] "3. The Government of the People's Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the People's Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Postsdam Proclamation."] , which states " "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine."

Statements and principles set in the Joint Communique of 1972 were shown in the "Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China" in 1978. Japan and the PRC agreed to continue abiding by the 1978 treaty when Shinzo Abe visited Beijing on 8 October 2006.

1998 Japan-China Joint Declaration

The 1998 Japan-China Joint Declaration on Building a Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation for Peace and Development states "The Japanese side continues to maintain its stand on the Taiwan issue which was set forth in the Joint Communique of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China and reiterates its understanding that there is one China. Japan will continue to maintain its exchanges of private and regional nature with Taiwan."

Recent initiatives

In order to attract more tourists to Japan, Japan permits Taiwanese tourists a visa exemption for 90 days, commencing September 20 2005.

In the press conference on January 31 2006, Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi announced that, in a speech in 2005, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tarō Asō had expressed concern regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait on the basis of 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. The announcement reiterated the Japanese government's position "...that we do not take a policy of two Chinas or one China and one Taiwan."

References

See also

* Sino-Japanese relations
*
* One China Policy

External links

* http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/taiwan/index.html
* http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/china/joint72.html
* http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/china/treaty78.html
* http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/china/visit98/joint.html
* http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2005/9/0920-2.html
* http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/press/2006/1/0131.html#1
* http://www.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/bilateral/j-c061009.htm