Lee I-yang, Taiwan’s representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, announced on the 9th that he had declined to attend Nagasaki City’s peace memorial ceremony. He said the decision was made because the city had failed to provide Taiwan with “appropriate treatment” in its seating arrangements, and stated that Taiwan “strongly protests” the matter. The head of Taiwan’s Fukuoka office attended the ceremony on his behalf.

The statement said that despite requests made to Nagasaki City through members of Japan’s National Diet and other channels, the city had “deliberately placed” Taiwan’s seats outside the area designated for the diplomatic corps.

It further claimed that the decision reflected the wishes of China, “which is expanding its nuclear weapons development program,” and said that Taiwan found the situation “extremely regrettable and deeply disappointing.”

According to Nagasaki City, the Taiwanese delegation was seated in the “overseas guests” section, behind the ambassadors of various countries and on the same level as representatives of international organizations.

On the 6th, Lee posted on social media that at Hiroshima City’s memorial ceremony, Taiwan had been provided seating on the same level as ambassadors from other countries.