Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) met with a bipartisan Japanese delegation led by former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Congressman Seiji Maehara on Wednesday. The two sides discussed, among other things, the need to establish a security dialogue mechanism.
Lin says Taiwan and Japan share both geographical proximity as well as values like democracy and freedom. He says the two nations have a close relationship and face common challenges from the expansion of authoritarianism. Lin proposes creating a security dialogue mechanism to discuss responses to future emergencies.
Lin thanks the Japanese government for emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at international forums. He says he hopes Japan will soon begin informal consultations on Taiwan’s potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Ishiba says discussions with Taiwanese officials have been productive and expresses a desire to establish a mechanism for ongoing dialogue. He says Japan and Taiwan should work with other democratic nations to strengthen deterrence and maintain peace in East Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.