Flags to fly at half-mast to honor Abe‘FOREVER MISSED’: Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe had planned to visit Taiwan and address the legislature, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun saidStaff writer, with CNAPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday ordered public institutions to fly the nation’s flag at half-mast tomorrow to honor former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed on Friday after being shot during a campaign event in western Japan. All Taiwanese flags at government buildings and public schools across Taiwan will be flown at half-mast for one day to honor Abe’s decades-long contributions to promoting bilateral ties between Taiwan and Japan, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said in a statement. The move is also intended to show that Taiwan stands with Japan in firmly defending freedom and democracy, Chang said, adding that Abe was a staunch supporter of Taiwan. A woman looks on as a man writes a message on a wall along Taipei’s Qingcheng Street, near the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association headquarters, to commemorate former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead on Friday. Abe died on Friday evening, at the age of 67, hours after being shot twice during an election campaign in Nara, Japan.
