TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is vital to Japan’s survival, Katayama Kazuyuki, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s chief representative, said in a SET TV interview on Sunday.

Katayama cited Taiwan’s proximity to Japan and said the two sides are cooperative partners that share values and are close economic partners, per CNA. He said they also engage in extensive people-to-people exchanges.

From a security standpoint, Katayama said Taiwan and Japan are committed to peace and understand the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Trust is a crucial foundation of Japan–Taiwan relations, Katayama said, and is necessary for mutually beneficial cooperation.

He said Japan and Taiwan should leverage their respective advantages to form a complementary relationship rather than a competitive one. He also said it is important to build supply chains and collaborate on talent development, both domestically and by attracting talent from third countries.

Katayama said the two sides could work together on disaster prevention and relief, renewable energy, and public health. Drones and undersea cable security are also promising areas of cooperation, he said, as they strengthen economic security and support economic development.