Ahead of his official visit to China on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya emphasized the importance of maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific. Iwaya's visit to China includes plans to discuss issues such as resuming Japanese seafood imports in China.
In an interview with Phoenix TV on Tuesday, Iwaya was asked about his thoughts regarding remarks by members of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party or senior officials. Recent comments say that should there be trouble in Taiwan, Japan would be in trouble too, linking Taiwan’s security directly to Japan’s. The interviewer also inquired about the stance of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration towards Taiwan.
Iwaya responded by saying that he personally doesn’t like the perspective that hypothetically sees Taiwan in trouble, adding that the stance should come from where peace and stability prevail. He said that Taiwan is a valued and historic friend of Japan. However, Japan firmly adheres to the joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and China and believes that Taiwan and China’s issues must be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Iwaya reaffirmed that Japan understands and respects China’s position. He described Japan-Taiwan relations as unofficial and practical, while also stressing that changing the status quo through force is unacceptable. Iwaya reemphasized that Japan’s position on the matter firmly supports resolving all issues through peaceful dialogue.