Japan may include Taiwan among nations giving flowers at Abe funeral, which could trigger reaction from China

If carried out, sources said Japan is likely to refer to the self-ruled island as Taiwan, not as ‘the Republic of China’, its official name for itself

In recent years, China has become more alert to risks from closer Japan-Taiwan ties, and is asking Tokyo respect ‘political foundations’ of their relations

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A mourner offers flowers next to a picture of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, on the day to mark a week after his assassination at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters, in Tokyo on July 15. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:59am, 25 Sep 2022Updated: 3:00pm, 25 Sep 2022

Japan is planning to include Taiwan among the names of countries to be read aloud during flower offerings at former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral next week, government sources said on Saturday.

The plan appears to have been made out of consideration for the close ties Abe had built with Taiwan until he was killed by a shooter during a campaign event in early July. If carried out, the sources said Japan is likely to refer to the self-ruled island as Taiwan, not as “the Republic of China”, its official name for itself.

But treating Taiwan as a country at the state funeral on Tuesday could still trigger a strong reaction from mainland China, which regards the democratic island as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Around 4,300 people are expected to attend the service at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo. Of them, the government has said about 700 are likely to be from 218 foreign countries and regions, as well as international organizations.

China is expected to send Wan Gang, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, to the ceremony.

A picture of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, is seen at Headquarters of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on July 12. Photo: Reuters

One of the three members of Taiwan’s delegation, billed by its president’s spokesman as intended to show the “strong and true friendship” between Taipei and Tokyo, is Su Jia-chyuan, who heads an association in charge of bilateral affairs in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.