A Japanese parliament delegation led by former defense ministers Shigeru Ishiba and Yasukazu Hamada met with President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday. The delegation also met with Vice President Lai Ching-te.
The group is on a four-day visit meant to foster security exchanges between the countries.
President Tsai thanked the delegation for Japan’s support for Taiwan through vaccine donations and natural disaster aid. She says Taiwan is essential to regional stability because it’s part of the first island chain. That refers to a long line of islands stretching along the coast of East Asia. Defense analysts say the first island chain is key to keeping China from projecting its naval power further in the Pacific.
Tsai says Taiwan will continue to work with Japan and other democratic partners to deepen cooperation in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.
A day before meeting Tsai, the Japanese delegation dined with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Wu says China’s threats towards Taiwan are becoming more clear, bringing increasing awareness from the international community. He thanks Japan for emphasizing in international forums the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The minister says Taiwan will keep protecting its sovereignty while facing threats from authoritarian countries.