Need to push for Taiwan's inclusion in the CPTPP: Japanese lawmaker

Taipei [Taiwan], December 16 : The most important job at hand for both Tokyo and Taipei is to push for Taiwan's inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to maintain regional peace and prosperity in the region and to protect Taiwan's democratic system, said Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council Chairman, Keiji Furuya.
Furuya during a meeting with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (Chen Qi Mai ) in Tokyo on Monday, reiterated his support for Taipei's bid to join a Tokya-led trade bloc. He called for closer Taiwan-Japan ties on all fronts.
The remarks by Furaya came when he and a group of council members hosted Chen in Tokyo, according to a Kaohsiung City government press release, reported Focus Taiwan.
Chen from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is currently visiting Tokyo as part of his first overseas trip since 2020.
Chen in Monday's meeting expressed his gratitude to Japan for donating COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan. In response, Furuya said the vaccine donation was made as a return gift after Taiwan donated two million face masks to Japan in early 2020, reported Focus Taiwan.
Chen also thanked Furaya for supporting Taiwan's CPTPP bid.
Recently, on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Taiwanese civic groups called on the Taiwan government to raise concerns over China's cross-border repression, reported money.udn.com.
As a democratic country with a relatively open and stable civic space in the region, Taiwan should take the initiative to establish a mechanism to accept regional human rights defenders and civic organizations, said the Taiwanese NGOs.
Taiwanese non-governmental organizations held a press conference to focus on the issue of cross-border repression in mainland China and called for the establishment of a refugee asylum mechanism that meets international standards.
A press conference titled "Human Rights Diehards. Collaboration with the Democratic Alliance. Rejecting Cross-border Suppression" was held today in Taipei, co-organized by the Taiwan Association for the Promotion of Human Rights, Defenders, Tibet-Taiwan Human Rights Connection, and Taiwan-Hong Kong Frontier Town Youth, reported money.udn.com.
Chen Jingjie, an initiative and research specialist of Defenders, pointed out at the meeting that cross-border repression refers to the expansion of the authoritarian government's influence abroad, and the persecution of individuals and specific groups through legal and illegal means.
Chen Jingjie said that when more and more countries realize the problem of China's cross-border repression, investigate China's influence outside China and try to strengthen their own democratic defence mechanisms, Taiwan has the responsibility to stand with other democratic countries, reported money.udn.com.