Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) announced that he would donate one month’s salary toward disaster relief in Japan following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture. Taiwan’s representative to Japan, Lee I-yang (李逸洋), also pledged a donation of 2.5 million yen (US$15,300). 

Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) said it would contribute 20 million yen (US$122,300), and the Red Cross in Taiwan said it had transferred an initial 10 million yen (US$61,000) to the Japanese Red Cross to support emergency relief and reconstruction efforts.

Minister Chen announced at a reception in Fukuoka originally held to thank guests attending the rollout ceremony for THSR’s first next-generation N700ST trainsets. THSR said the event also became an occasion to express concern for those affected by the earthquake, with some guests unable to attend due to their involvement in disaster response.

Taiwan High Speed Rail said more than 100 representatives from the Taiwanese and Japanese governments and rail industries attended the reception. THSR is purchasing 12 of the trainsets from Japan, with the first expected to arrive in Taiwan in August.