President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Wednesday marked the 15th anniversary of Japan’s 3/11 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which killed tens of thousands, by calling for deeper Taiwan-Japan disaster prevention cooperation. 

Lai said that Taiwan and Japan, both on the earthquake belt, share historical ties and strong people-to-people bonds. “We must commemorate our departed friends and learn from the disaster,” Lai said. He recalled Taiwan’s rapid response in 2011 when people across political lines and sectors donated money and sent rescue teams within 72 hours.

“True friendship is revealed in times of adversity,” Lai noted, highlighting Japan’s aid during Taiwan’s 921 Earthquake in 1999, Typhoon Morakot in 2009, and the COVID-19 pandemic, including donations of supplies, funds, vaccines, and rescue teams. Lai expressed hope for enhanced collaboration in disaster prevention, humanitarian aid, and social resilience to make each other “reliable partners.” 

The Foreign Ministry cited polls showing that over 70% of people in both nations feel an affinity for each other. Bilateral trade hit US$84.851 billion, with over 90 agreements signed since 1972, and more than 230 local exchange pacts. Post-pandemic visits and legislative exchanges reached record highs. 

Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-hui (林郁慧) said, “Therefore, we hope that future Taiwan-Japan relations can continue to develop steadily and achieve new successes on such a friendly basis.” Additional ties include memoranda and research institute agreements on disaster prevention, as well as workshops through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) platform.