Lai Ching-te meets Keiji Furuya: Taiwan and Japan jointly belong to the first island chain, a key defensive line

President of the Republic of China, Lai Ching-te, met with the Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, Keiji Furuya, and other members. He pointed out that Taiwan and Japan are key defense lines in the first island chain, and Taiwan will cooperate with like-minded countries such as Japan to promote democracy, peace, and prosperity in the region and the world.

President Lai Ching-te met with Keiji Furuya, Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, on the afternoon of the 17th. Also present were Members of the Japanese Parliament, Junzo Yamamoto, Shojo Matsunuma, and Shojiro Hiranuma, as well as the representative of the Taiwan office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Kazuyuki Katayama, and the Secretary General of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, Fan Zhen-guo.

In his speech, President Lai expressed his gratitude to the delegation for attending the Yushan Forum and providing valuable insights on issues of common concern in the Indo-Pacific region, demonstrating Japan’s support for Taiwan. Particularly noteworthy was Chairman Furuya’s emphasis on the forum in Taiwanese dialect, stating “When Taiwan has a problem, Japan has a problem,” which was inspiring.

President Lai mentioned that in recent years, under Chairman Furuya’s leadership, the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association has made great efforts to strengthen Taiwan-Japan relations. In addition to passing resolutions supporting Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) each year, the association has also established four research groups focusing on CPTPP, female parliamentarians exchange, promoting local exchanges, and investigating Taiwan Relations Act to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations.

He also expressed gratitude for the long-term assistance provided by the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, as the Japanese Ministry of Justice announced that from May of this year, Taiwanese living in Japan can register themselves as “Taiwan” in the “nationality, region” column of their household registration. This gesture demonstrates the friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan, and the people of Taiwan are grateful for the continuous support from the Association.

During his address at the Yushan Forum, Chairman Furuya mentioned the various aspects of future industrial cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. President Lai echoed this sentiment, stating that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen their partnership, especially in areas related to economic security and supply chain resilience in fields such as semiconductors, energy, AI, and drones, where there is significant potential for cooperation and mutual benefits.

President Lai emphasized that as authoritarian countries unite, democratic countries must also stand in solidarity. Taiwan and Japan are key defense lines in the first island chain. In addition to strengthening economic capabilities and defense forces, Taiwan will work hand in hand with like-minded countries such as Japan to promote democracy, peace, and prosperity in the region and the world. He expressed his gratitude to all the esteemed guests who are good friends of Taiwan and have a deep understanding of the country, hoping to further elevate Taiwan-Japan relations through continued collaboration in the future.

During his speech, Chairman Furuya expressed his gratitude to President Lai for taking the time to meet despite his busy schedule. He highlighted the importance of cooperation between Taiwan and Japan not only in diplomacy and security but also in the economic domain, particularly in areas like new technologies, citing examples such as TSMC’s investment in Kumamoto, Japan, showcasing a thriving partnership. Collaboration on issues like cyberattacks and supply chain resilience was also emphasized as crucial.

Referring to President Lai mentioning that Taiwanese living in Japan can register as “Taiwan” in the household registration from May this year, Chairman Furuya viewed this not just as a diplomatic matter but as a fundamental issue of human rights for Taiwanese people and a display of respect for Taiwan. He echoed President Lai’s mention of the establishment of four research groups by the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, intending to propel and actualize future endeavors, and hoped for Taiwan and Japan to cooperatively tackle challenges ranging from democracy to peace in the Taiwan Strait, and contribute to international peace and stability.

“Last year saw a record high of visits between personnel from Taiwan and Japan. In addition to promoting local exchanges between the two countries, I also hope that more Japanese junior and senior high school students will choose Taiwan for their educational trips. Students who have the opportunity to travel to Taiwan for tourism and exchange in the future will certainly become fans of Taiwan,” Furuya said.