President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday congratulated Sanae Takaichi on her election as the 29th president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), expressing his hope to deepen Taiwan-Japan ties.
Describing Takaichi as “a staunch friend of Taiwan,” Lai wrote on X that he hoped to elevate Taiwan-Japan relations to a new level, and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lai also expressed his gratitude to outgoing LDP President and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who “deepened Taiwan-Japan ties and contributed to regional stability” during his tenure.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
Takaichi, a former Japanese economic security minister, won the presidency on her third attempt after losses in 2021 and last year.
Takaichi is expected to become the country’s first female prime minister.
Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) thanked all five candidates for their support of Taiwan.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also congratulated Takaichi, saying it hopes the decades-long friendship between the two parties would deepen.
The Taiwan People’s Party said that Japan is a longtime friend of Taiwan, and it looks forward to opportunities for exchanges with the Japanese government.
Takaichi in April visited Taiwan and told Lai that Taiwan and Japan should deepen unofficial bilateral ties — including more visits and information sharing — to prepare for contingencies that could impact both nations.
She also voiced support for Lai’s proposal for signing an economic partnership agreement.
Takaichi during her visit called for Taiwan and Japan to work together to decouple national supply chains from China, a policy objective Takaichi shared with Lai.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in July met with Takaichi during a visit to Japan.
Taiwan has established lines of communication with Takaichi since 2021 when she launched her first bid for the LDP leadership, through the mediation of late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Takaichi has on multiple occasions echoed Abe’s remark that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency.”
She supported Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Takaichi on Wednesday contributed written responses to a Hudson Institute questionnaire, in which she expressed hopes to engage with the Chinese leadership in a “candid dialogue” over Taiwan.
“Unilateral changes to the status quo through force or coercion must never occur,” she added. “Taiwan is an extremely important partner and a valued friend for Japan.”
DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) said that Takaichi’s rise to LDP leadership meant that Abe’s stance on Taiwan could become national policy in Japan.
Such a shift would make peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait a core Japanese national interest, Chen said.
Takaichi’s victory reflected worries among Japanese over regional security amid China’s increasingly militant pursuit of territorial expansion, he said.
Taiwan has a historic opportunity to transform the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership, he said.
Taiwan and Japan could enhance security collaboration without infringing on Japan’s pacifist constitution, Chen said, citing maritime law enforcement and cybersecurity as examples.
The two sides face the threat emanating from China’s “gray zone” tactics, which is an urgent concern that can be addressed within Japan’s legal and constitutional framework, he added.
The interests of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and Japan’s economic security are aligned, which suggests that bilateral trade ties should be reinforced into a strategic alliance, he said.
Economic cooperation between the two would be a boon to the supply chain resilience of democracies worldwide, he said.
Taiwan must also be pragmatic about the internal and external constraints on Takaichi’s ability to realize her foreign policy goals, Chen said.
The LDP is not united over what Japan’s policy should be on China, its rate of defense spending and Japan’s fiscal health, he said.
KMT Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that Taiwan and Japan share a vital partnership that the two nations should leverage to deal with the US’ tariffs.
A joint strategy for Taiwan and Japan to support one another and minimize the impact of the tariffs would be a highly important aspect of bilateral relations, he said.
Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu, Shih Hsiao-Kung and Liu Wan-lin
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