TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with Japan and other democratic partners to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Thursday (July 28) during a meeting with the Japanese National Diet delegation.

Tsai mentioned that the members of the delegation, which arrived on July 27, are all security experts and good friends who are familiar with Taiwan issues.

The four-member group consists of Shigeru Ishiba, Yasukazu Hamada, Akihisa Nakashima, who are members of Japan’s House of Representatives, and Takayuki Shimizu, who is a member of the House of Councilors. Both Shigeru and Yasukazu previously served as Japan's defense minister.

Tsai said the security of Taiwan, a vital member of the global community, is imperative to preserving its sovereignty and protecting the first island chain. She said that former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo played a key role in deepening the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

Tsai said that in recent years, the Japanese government has repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait on many occasions, including at the Japan-EU summit, U.S.-Japan summit, G7 summit, and the NATO summit.

The delegation will meet with top government officials to discuss the security of Taiwan and Japan and exchange views on other important issues, according to a MOFA press release. The group will also visit the National Security Council, Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, the Ministry of National Defense, and relevant think tanks.

Additionally, the delegation will also stop by the Wu Chih-shan Military Cemetery to pay tribute to former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).