Taiwan's government appoints ex-Japanese general as ‘policy advisor’

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Taiwan’s government appointed a former Japanese general as “policy advisor” to the Cabinet, according to Taiwanese media.

Shigeru Iwasaki, a former chief of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, was appointed as an “official policy adviser” to the Cabinet, the TVBS broadcaster reported.

The development came on a day when China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Tokyo for bilateral talks as well as a trilateral meeting with counterparts from Japan and South Korea.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi refused to comment on the development, arguing Iwasaki had “retired from public service.”

“There is no change to the unofficial relations Japan maintains with Taiwan based on the 1972 Japan-China joint communique, which stipulates that Beijing is the only legitimate government of China,” Hayashi said.

However, Beijing expressed displeasure over the move and lodged a protest with Tokyo.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Iwasaki served as chief of the Joint Staff of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) of Japan between 2012 and 2014 and has been engaged for one year by Taiwan to make policy recommendations to the Cabinet.

He recently visited Taiwan at the invitation of the Cabinet where he met Premier Cho Jung-tai, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

The “one-China principle is the political foundation of China-Japan relations,” Mao said. “Japan bears serious historical responsibilities to the Chinese people, and should act all the more prudently on the Taiwan question.”

Mao warned that “any attempts by Taiwan's (ruling) DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities to collude with external forces for ‘Taiwan independence’ will not succeed.”

Iwasaki reportedly attended Taiwanese regional leader William Lai Ching-te's inauguration ceremony last May – a precedent breaker for any chief of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Notably, Tokyo had blocked a visit by Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen last July to attend a memorial service for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Tokyo had cited possible backlash from China.