Sunday November 1, 2:26 PM
Free trade plan urged for Taiwan, Japan: report
Taiwan and Japan were urged to hold high-level dialogue and strike a free trade agreement despite the lack of diplomatic ties, reports here said Sunday.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in Taipei called for a FTA to further boost the flow of goods and materials between the two sides, the state-funded Central News Agency reported.
Taiwan's parliament speaker Wang Jin-pyng also called for a FTA during a recent meeting with Taiwan-based Japanese.
Japan, like most countries, officially recognises Beijing instead of Taipei, but Taiwan maintains friendly relations with Japan despite being colonised between 1895 and 1945.
Taiwan has assured Japan it has nothing to fear over the island's warming ties with China, which it split from in 1949 after a civil war.
The JCCI also voiced its support for a planned trade pact between Taiwan and China, saying it could benefit Japanese businesses on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the report said.
Taiwan's government hopes to sign the pact, the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, with Beijing early next year to boost its flagging economy.
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