Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) met with a delegation of Japanese senators on Tuesday to discuss methods of enhancing Taiwan-Japan cooperation in third countries. The delegation, which includes Senators Tsuneo Kitamura, Iwao Horii, and Sachiko Hirayama, is visiting Taiwan from November 24 to 26.
During the meeting, Lin expressed his gratitude to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, especially during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. Lin also highlighted the deep friendship between the two nations, as evidenced by robust diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges. He later remarked in his Facebook post that Senator Kitamura's first words during the meeting were to congratulate Taiwan for winning the WBSC Premier12 championship game.
In response, Senator Kitamura said that Prime Minister Ishiba gained a clear understanding of the mutual expectations between the two nations from his visit to Taiwan last August. Kitamura added that Taiwan-Japan relations remain strong regardless of leadership changes.
Senator Hirayama conveyed gratitude from her constituents of Shizuoka Prefecture for Taiwan's support after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Noto Peninsula Earthquake. She also expressed hopes to strengthen tourism and educational exchanges.
Senator Horii said he hopes Japan could help Taiwan expand its diplomatic space and foster Taiwan-Japan collaboration in third countries. Lin welcomed the idea and pointed to existing partnerships, like the Tuvalu undersea cable project led by the U.S., Australia, and Japan. He suggested using this model to extend such cooperation to Southeast Asia and Pacific Island nations.