TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo left one of the most important strategic legacies in Taiwan-Japan relations, Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), president of the Prospect Foundation, said Sunday.
Abe’s statement that a contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan and for the US-Japan alliance changed the way Japan views Taiwan, Lai said, per CNA. This shift in thinking has gradually become a key foundation for Japan’s political discussions on the Taiwan Strait, he added.
Lai said that in the past, Japan often viewed Taiwan “through the lens of China.” Japanese government officials handling Taiwan affairs were mostly from the so-called “China School,” with expertise in China.
Taiwan also tended to position itself within the Japan-China-Taiwan framework, seeking to compete with China for Japan’s support, according to Lai. He said that after the DPP first came to power in 2000, Taiwan elevated its framework to “US-Japan-Taiwan.”
Lai also cited TSMC’s investment in Kumamoto as an example of structural changes in Taiwan-Japan economic ties. “It is no longer just Japan supporting us; we are also able to help Japan,” he said.
While the two peoples share goodwill and maintain close exchanges in disaster relief, tourism, and culture, security and strategic cooperation between their governments remain limited, Lai said.
He suggested that Taiwan and Japan should set clear, measurable shared goals. For example, the two countries could set targets for bilateral investment and define the level of cooperation in scientific research and advanced technology following TSMC’s investment in Japan.
