The ruling parties of Taiwan and Japan yesterday held their first diplomatic and defense policy discussion, with representatives of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pledging to support Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The 90-minute videoconference was attended by Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) and Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), with LDP Foreign Affairs division director Masahisa Sato and National Defense division director Taku Otsuka, DPP spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) said after the meeting.
The Japanese representatives asked Taipei to facilitate an investment by the Taiwanese semiconductor industry — especially Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) — into the Japanese chip industry, Lo said.
Photo courtesy of the Democratic Progressive Party
The LDP representatives also pledged to back Taiwan’s bid to enter the CPTPP, as its participation in the organization is an important goal for Taiwan and regional partners, and would improve Taiwan-Japan relations, Lo said.
Both sides mentioned their concern over the presence of Chinese military vessels and aircraft in Japan’s southwestern and Taiwan’s northeastern sea zones, Tsai said.
Japan said it would invest a significant sum of the next fiscal year’s defense budget to bolster its air superiority in the region, while Taiwan said it would seek to increase its defense and take measures to secure its northeastern front, he said.
Both sides discussed military cooperation, which each said they would forward to their respective defense ministries, he said, adding that he could not comment on the specifics of the dialogue.
They also discussed the US’ resolve to support Taiwan’s defense, Lo added.
The party representatives also agreed to promote coast guard collaborations, Tsai said, adding that just before the meeting started, Sato wrote on Twitter, in Japanese, that “one day, the coast guards of Japan, Taiwan and the US will conduct joint training.”
While the issue of vaccines had not been brought up, Lo said that he had thanked the LDP and the Japanese government for donating vaccines to Taiwan, adding that it would deepen bilateral ties.
The Japan side said that its House of Councilors, the upper house of Japan’s Diet, in June introduced a motion to support Taiwan’s participation in the WHO as an observer.
In a separate comment to reporters after the meeting, Lo said that developing better Taiwan-Japan relations is backed by strong public support.
International affairs are changing, as many nations begin to express doubts about China, and Beijing’s bellicose attitude and military ambitions were among the many issues that led to the meeting, Lo said.
Sato said the dialogue would help inform the Japanese ruling party’s policymaking.
“The Taiwanese side said they had been waiting and hoping for such a dialogue ... [we both] felt it was significant to come up with common goals between the ruling parties that can lead to government policy for both countries,” Sato said.
China last week condemned the talks, saying that Japan should not send the “wrong signals” about Taiwan’s independence.
Lo brushed off China’s objections, saying it was expected.
“Taiwan, as a sovereign and independent country, has the right to promote bilateral and multilateral ties with all countries,” he said.
Additional reporting by Reuters and CNA
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS