Taiwan's top economic representative in Japan boycotted this year's memorial marking the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, accusing city officials of being pro-China and insulting Taipei.
Lee Yi-yang, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Tokyo, stated on social media that the designated seat assignments demonstrated Nagasaki's "deliberate denial of Taiwan’s status as a nation, completely disregarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity." Lee and two deputies did not attend the ceremony, instead sending a lower-ranked official from Fukuoka.
"I think there shouldn’t be any discrimination at a place where we pray together for a world without a war or nuclear weapons," said Chen Ming-chun, the official who attended. Nagasaki acted as "a pawn of China's insistence that Taiwan is not a state and has no sovereignty," Lee's office said in a statement.
Nagasaki officials stated that seats for Taiwanese officials were located just behind other envoys and were not clearly distinguished as nondiplomatic guests. Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki denied that the city was bowing to China, asserting, "We have courteously accommodated their attendance. Taiwan is a partner with strong ties with Nagasaki and we place great importance to our relationship."
According to the Asahi newspaper, the seats designated for Taiwan were intended for foreign attendees from international organizations and envoys who could not be accommodated in the special guests section reserved for ambassadors and top Japanese officials.
Japan and China normalized diplomatic ties in 1972, a move that officially recognized Tokyo's diplomatic relations with Beijing and ended them with Taipei. Despite this, Japan and Taiwan maintain close economic and trade ties through non-governmental channels.
This year's memorial was attended by representatives from 98 countries and three international organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In 2024, then-U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and counterparts from five other Group of Seven countries boycotted the Nagasaki anniversary ceremony. This action was prompted by the city's decision not to invite Israel due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and concerns over potential risks such as protests and safety issues. Following that boycott, Nagasaki established a policy to invite countries, regions, and organizations that have diplomatic missions in Japan or at the United Nations, including North Korea and countries in conflict.
Taiwan does not fit into either of these categories as a guest, but Nagasaki had accommodated its representatives at their request in the previous year. Lee attended the Aug. 6 atomic bombing memorial in Hiroshima, where he stated he was treated equally with other foreign envoys.
Lee emphasized that Taiwan has presented itself as a peace-loving nation, contrasting it with China's increasing regional threats attributed to its rapid military expansion and nuclear capabilities. Lee, who took up his post in Japan in September 2024, was the first Taiwanese representative from the liaison office to attend both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki ceremonies last year. He received a similar seat assignment in Nagasaki in the previous year but chose not to raise the issue at that time to prioritize bilateral friendship.