President States that He is "pro-Japanese"

At the recent unveiling of a memorial garden dedicated to a Japanese engineer noted for his construction efforts during the Japanese colonial period, President Ma Ying-jeou called himself "Japan's best friend" in Taiwan, saying that Japan's contribution to the construction of Taiwan could not be denied.

Ma and Mori at the opening ceremony.

Yoichi Hatta was a Japanese engineer credited with the construction of the Chianan Canal and the Ushantou Reservoir in southern Taiwan during the Japanese colonial rule. At the memorial garden's opening, Ma made a speech stating that although the handover of Taiwan to Japan after the first Sino-Japanese war was a tragedy, Japanese contributions to the construction of Taiwan could not be overlooked. Also present at the ceremony was Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese Prime Minister, and a delegation of more than 200 Japanese visitors.

Ma in the past has been labeled as anti-Japanese by elements of both the Taiwanese and Japanese media, and this speech seeks to dispel such rumors. "I hope people can look at the love-hate relationship from different historical perspectives," Ma said.

This highlights a particularly contentious issue in Taiwanese politics, that of Taiwanese-Japanese relations. KMT supporters tend to be less open towards the Japanese because of war crimes committed against China during the Second World War, and the refusal of some of Japan's more nationalist ministers to acknowledge that war crimes were indeed committed. Native Taiwanese on the other hand, enjoy a very close relationship to the Japanese. From 1894-1945, Taiwan was Japan's attempt at creating a perfect colony. The natives were treated well and the Japanese built up infrastructure, bridging the rural south to the metropolitan north and generally improving the standard of living for most all of the country. Many native Taiwanese actually fought for the Imperial Army in China against KMT forces, which in turn led to tensions between the two factions after the KMT fled to Taiwan in 1949.

By expressing openness and friendliness towards the Japanese, Ma is separating himself from the anti-Japanese stance the KMT is known for, thus ingratiating himself with both the Japanese and the native Taiwanese. But at the same time, he may also be alienating himself from the more die-hard KMT supporters.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/05/09/301622/Ma-calls.htm