Taiwan's quasi-official organization tasked with handling ties with Japan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations has unveiled a plaque detailing its new name, hoping to advance bilateral ties to a higher level.
The move Wednesday in Taipei drew an immediate negative reaction from Beijing, where the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed "strong dissatisfaction" and urged Japan to uphold the "One China" principle, which holds the self-governed island to be an inseparable part of China.
"With the new name, our job becomes clearer to the public," Chiou I-jen, president of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, formerly known as the Association of East Asian Relations, said at the unveiling ceremony in Taipei. The association is tied to the Foreign Ministry.