TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio praised Japan-Taiwan relations in a message posted on Friday (Aug. 16).
“Taiwan is an extremely important partner and an important friend that shares basic values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,” Kishida said on X. He believed that the two countries will continue to deepen ties in the future.
The remarks were in response to a post by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who expressed gratitude to the prime minister for his “support for Taiwan and his emphasis on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” Lai also hoped Taiwan and Japan could continue to address global challenges and uphold democracy and prosperity.
The exchange follows a visit to Taiwan by a delegation of Japanese lawmakers last week. The group, led by former Minister of Defense Ishiba Shigeru, met with Taiwanese government officials to discuss regional security and bilateral cooperation.
Ishiba expressed concern that “Today’s Ukraine might become tomorrow’s East Asia” and said democracies should partner to uphold peace and stability in the region. In a meeting with Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Ishiba wished for a dialogue mechanism to continue bilateral exchanges in the future.
