Ma Shih-yuan: Learning from Okinawa's Experience to Strengthen Remote Island Disaster Prevention Systems
The Ministry of the Interior held a seminar to exchange experiences with Okinawa on fire fighting and medical evacuation for remote islands. Deputy Minister Ma Shih-yuan emphasized the importance of borrowing from Japan's practical models to enhance Taiwan's resilience.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 15:52
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Central News Agency (Taipei, 28th) - The Ministry of the Interior today hosted the '2026 Taiwan-Okinawa Fire and Disaster Prevention System and Remote Island Medical Evacuation Experience Exchange Seminar.' Deputy Minister Ma Shih-yuan stated that Taiwan and Okinawa share similar geographic and climatic conditions. He hopes that through this exchange, Taiwan can learn from Japan's practical experience to strengthen its remote island disaster prevention systems and emergency medical evacuation capabilities.
Today, the Ministry invited officials including Masahiro Teruya (Deputy Counselor, Okinawa Prefecture Fire and Disaster Prevention Policy Division), Yukihiro Matsuda (Manager, Ishigaki City Fire Department), Osamu Ashimine (Director, Okinawa Prefecture Industry Promotion Public Corporation Taipei Office), and Deputy Director Yihsin Chiang to exchange expertise in disaster relief and medical evacuation.
Following the seminar, the Ministry issued a press release quoting Ma Shih-yuan, who pointed out that both regions face threats from typhoons and earthquakes. Remote areas often face limited resources and the risk of becoming 'isolated islands' during disasters. He noted that areas like Ishigaki City rely heavily on well-developed cross-island medical transfer and helicopter/aircraft dispatch mechanisms, which serve as valuable references for Taiwan's Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, Green Island, and Lanyu.
Facing the threat of powerful earthquakes and tsunamis, Ma said that Okinawa's ability to rapidly switch from routine data collection to a full-scale 'Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters' during crises is highly commendable. Establishing a stable and efficient disaster command system is a major challenge for relief units and was a core topic of the seminar.
Ma also mentioned that Taiwan is actively preparing its disaster relief capacity. If Okinawa or the Nansei Islands face large-scale disaster needs in the future, Taiwan will provide necessary resources and support immediately. Furthermore, considering the high demand for cross-island medical transfers in places like Ishigaki, Taiwan could play a role in 'aerial support and referral collaboration' in the future, while building a more robust international rescue network through shared deep-sea geological survey data. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150428
Today, the Ministry invited officials including Masahiro Teruya (Deputy Counselor, Okinawa Prefecture Fire and Disaster Prevention Policy Division), Yukihiro Matsuda (Manager, Ishigaki City Fire Department), Osamu Ashimine (Director, Okinawa Prefecture Industry Promotion Public Corporation Taipei Office), and Deputy Director Yihsin Chiang to exchange expertise in disaster relief and medical evacuation.
Following the seminar, the Ministry issued a press release quoting Ma Shih-yuan, who pointed out that both regions face threats from typhoons and earthquakes. Remote areas often face limited resources and the risk of becoming 'isolated islands' during disasters. He noted that areas like Ishigaki City rely heavily on well-developed cross-island medical transfer and helicopter/aircraft dispatch mechanisms, which serve as valuable references for Taiwan's Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, Green Island, and Lanyu.
Facing the threat of powerful earthquakes and tsunamis, Ma said that Okinawa's ability to rapidly switch from routine data collection to a full-scale 'Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters' during crises is highly commendable. Establishing a stable and efficient disaster command system is a major challenge for relief units and was a core topic of the seminar.
Ma also mentioned that Taiwan is actively preparing its disaster relief capacity. If Okinawa or the Nansei Islands face large-scale disaster needs in the future, Taiwan will provide necessary resources and support immediately. Furthermore, considering the high demand for cross-island medical transfers in places like Ishigaki, Taiwan could play a role in 'aerial support and referral collaboration' in the future, while building a more robust international rescue network through shared deep-sea geological survey data. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150428