Taiwan representative in Japan boycotts Nagasaki anniversary ceremony over seating
TOKYO (AP) -- Taiwan's top economic representative in Japan said he boycotted this year's memorial marking Nagasaki's 81st anniversary of the U.S. ato
Taiwan's senior economic envoy in Japan, Lee Yi-yang, skipped this year's ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He accused the city of being pro-China and disregarding Taiwan's sovereignty. Lee and two deputies boycotted the event because their designated seats were not among those reserved for diplomatic missions.
Instead, they sent a lower-ranking representative from Fukuoka. Nagasaki officials claimed their seats were near other envoys and not clearly marked as nondiplomatic guests. The mayor, Shiro Suzuki, is expected to comment later. Japan and China normalized ties in 1972, ending diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though economic ties persist.
The 2024 Nagasaki memorial saw representatives from 98 countries and three international organizations, including the UN, EU, and ICRC. The U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, and five other G7 nations boycotted the ceremony due to Israel's exclusion and safety concerns. Taiwan did not fit the criteria for invitation. Lee also attended the Hiroshima atomic bombing memorial, where he was treated equally with other foreign envoys. He stressed Taiwan's peaceful nature and China's growing threats, including its nuclear arsenal.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
