but he was rarely particularly fond of Taiwan. "Actually, even if Abe Illustrator Artwork is like his predecessors, Taiwanese people will not be sad. Internationally, we have long been used to being lonely. But Abe does not, he is the Japanese Prime Minister who tied Taiwan's safety with his own national security with his actual actions." Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Photo Credit: Getty Images / BBC News Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe The death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara last week shocked the world, including U.S.
President Joe Biden and British Queen Elizabeth II, who expressed condolences, and Taiwanese society, which is close to Japan, reacted even more strongly. On July 11, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced that Taiwan's government agencies and public schools lowered their flags at half-mast, and mourning activities for Abe continued. Japan received condolences and flowers from the public at its Taipei office. On Monday (11th), Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-de flew to Tokyo in his personal capacity and went to Abe's house to offer condolences. He became the highest-level Taiwanese official to visit Japan since Taiwan and Japan severed diplomatic ties in 1972,
drawing attention from all walks of life. After Lai Qingde stayed in Tokyo for one night, he attended the private funeral of his old friend Abe at the Zenjoji Temple in Tokyo as a "family and friend". Some analysts say that Japan has colonized Taiwan for half a century, and Taiwanese people have a closeness to Japanese culture, but Abe's popularity in Taiwan is mainly because Abe frequently released messages of friendliness to Taiwan when he was the prime minister of Japan. After leaving office, he proposed that "if there is something in Taiwan, it is the same as if there is