A 27-strong delegation of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) led by caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) this morning met with 20 members of the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, including chairman Keiji Furuya and secretary-general Koichi Hagiuda at the First Members’ Office Building of the House of Representatives of Japan in Tokyo.
This was the largest delegation in Taiwan-Japan parliamentary history, and was arranged in complete secrecy within just one week, Fu said.
Ahead of the Legislative Yuan’s fourth session of its 11th term, the opposition party delegation arrived in Japan on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi's office
The two nations need to maintain close cooperation and enhance competitiveness in light of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, the US trade war and adjustments to semiconductor policies, Fu said.
Caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), deputy secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) and representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) were also in attendance.
The delegation was invited by the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council to discuss Taiwan’s ascension to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a Free Trade Agreement (TFA), which Japan plays a key role in following the US’ withdrawal under Trump in 2017, Fu’s office said in a news release.
The meetings would also discuss disaster prevention and mutual aid, while establishing deeper economic and trade relations, it added.
Fu thanked the council for its longstanding support for Taiwan, as Japan and Taiwan work closely in fields such as economics, culture, academia, tourism and industrial technology, he said, with frequent official and private bilateral communication.
Last year, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) opened its first chip manufacturing fab in Kumamoto, Japan, contributing significantly to talent cultivation and local development in Japan, he added.
Taiwan and Japan are also natural leaders in shaping Asia’s new AI landscape, he said.
KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), who is part of the trip, wrote in a Facebook post that the visit to Japan's Diet reflects the party's long-term goal of fostering friendly exchanges with Japan.
The KMT hopes such exchanges between the two legislatures can become routine to help strengthen cooperation on security, supply chain resilience and people-to-people ties, Lee said.
Furuya, a veteran member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was quoted in Fu’s statement as saying that he hopes that Taiwan and Japan would deepen bilateral relations, develop their democracies and ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait, as regional safety and stability are crucial to the Taiwanese people and Japanese residents in Taiwan.
Furuya said he looked forward to welcoming Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), a senior KMT member, during Han's upcoming trip to Japan later this month.
A source told CNA that Han is scheduled to lead a cross-party legislative delegation to Japan from Sept. 25-29 to promote parliamentary diplomacy. The group is also expected to visit Expo 2025 in Osaka, the source said.
Additional reporting by Liu Wan-ling
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