The Japan-Taiwan Forum 2011 in Tokyo
The Japan-Taiwan Forum 2011 in Tokyo was jointly staged by the Institute forInternational Policy Studies (IIPS) and Taiwan’s Cross-Strait Interflow Prospect
Foundation, and took place on October 19 and 20, 2011. This year’s event marked thetenth meeting of the forum. Every year since 2002, experts from Japan and Taiwan haveengaged in reciprocal visits for the purpose of conducting free and wide-ranging
discussions on politics, economics, and security, with the venue alternating between thetwo locations.
With “the outlook for East Asia” as the overall theme of the event, the forum washeld during a period in which—from the Japanese perspective—the extensive support
received from Taiwan in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake was still
fresh in the mind, and a new Democratic Party of Japan administration led by Prime
Minister Noda had just assumed office. From Taiwan's perspective, the forum wastaking place in the run-up to the general election of January 2012.
The opening ceremony took place on October 19 and featured remarks by Mr. Ken
Sato, IIPS President, and Mr. Tzen Wen-Hua, Taiwan's Cross-Strait Interflow Prospect
Foundation Chairman, as well as by two guests, Mr. Atsushi Hatakenaka, Chairman of
the Japan Interchange Association, and Mr. Feng Chi-Tai, Representative at the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan. Mention was made of the strong
bonds between Japan and Taiwan, as evidenced after the Great East Japan Earthquake,and hopes were expressed that the interchange between Japan and Taiwan in various
fields would broaden and strengthen in the future.
In session one, the first topic discussed was the cooperative relationship between
Japan and Taiwan. With regard to maritime issues, the Taiwan delegates expressed theview that Taiwan ought not to be excluded from bilateral negotiations between Japanand China over the Senkaku Islands issue. It was also pointed out that there is ample
scope for cooperation between Japan and Taiwan in the face of China’s all-out maritime
expansion, and that Japan and Taiwan should attempt to develop a framework forhigh-level bilateral dialogue in response to major changes in the situation in East Asia.
In terms of the economic relationship between Japan and Taiwan, speakers advanced
the notions that Taiwan represents a fitting partner for Japan as Japanese companies
advance into the Chinese-speaking world, and that, as the working-age population in
Asia increases, future cooperation between Japan and Taiwan could take the form ofjoint initiatives in other Asian countries and reciprocal investment incentives.
In the second session the delegates exchanged views on the shifting situation in East
Asia. The consistent point of discussion was that, in the future, the situation in East Asia
would be determined by the actions of the USA and China. Specific highlights of thesession were the views expressed on how the issue of the relocation of Futenma Air
Station might unfold, the extent to which the USA’s economic difficulties will impact
the re-alignment of US forces in East Asia, whether China’s so-called A2AD strategy
will succeed in the future, and whether it will be possible to establish a framework for
consultation on freedom of navigation through the South China Sea (plus the extent towhich the USA and China might be able to participate in this).
On October 20, a public symposium based on the results of discussions during thesessions was held. With Mr. Yoshio Okawara, Special Adviser of IIPS, and Mr. Tzen

Wen-Hua, Chairman of the Cross-Strait Interflow Prospect Foundation, serving as jointmoderators, two panelists each from Japan and Taiwan delivered presentations. Amongthe views expressed at the symposium were that, with the conclusion of an investment
agreement between Japan and Taiwan in September, Japanese companies withwell-established brands and advanced technology should aim to establish a newinternational division of labor by engaging in joint ventures with Taiwan, one of whosestrengths is mass production, and that Japan should cooperate more closely with Taiwan
to maintain the sea lanes that are of vital importance to Japan. The presentations werefollowed by fruitful and lively debate, which included panelists’ responses to questions
from the floor.
The forum was attended by a 15-member delegation from Taiwan, which included
Mr. Tzen Wen-Hua, Chairman of the Cross-Strait Interflow Prospect Foundation; Mr.
Hung Chien-Chao, Advisor to the Central News Agency; Mr. Lee Chia-Chin, memberof the National Security Council’s advisory committee; Professor Chiu Kun-Shuan ofthe Graduate Institute of East Asia Studies at National Chengchi University; Professor
Ho Szu-Shen of the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at Fu Jen Catholic
University; Professor Tsai Ming-Yen of the National Graduate Institute of International
Politics at Chung Hsing University; Deputy Professor Tsai Hsi-Hsun of the JapaneseStudies Division of the Graduate Institute of Asian Studies at Tamkang University; andDeputy Professor Tso Chen-Dong of the Department of Political Science at National
Taiwan University. The Japanese participants were Mr. Naoki Kazama, member of theHouse of Councillors; Mr. Nobuo Kishi, member of the House of Councillors; Mr.
Takashi Shiraishi, President of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Mr.
Yutaka Taka, Advisor to the Association for Taiwan-Japan Cooperation on Industrial
Technology; Professor Takashi Kawakami of Takushoku University; Mr. Takao
Kitabata, former Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and Associate
Professor Shin Kawashima of the University of Tokyo.

© IIPS (Institute for International Policy Studies)