A visiting former Japanese justice minister today said it is important for closer bilateral collaboration on joint deterrence capabilities to prevent a "Taiwan contingency" from happening.
Japanese House of Representatives member Keisuke Suzuki, who served as justice minister in the former Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet, from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), made the comments during a press event in Taipei to conclude his three-day visit.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
During the visit from Monday through today, Suzuki said he and his delegation met with President William Lai (賴清德), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安).
"We exchanged views concerning ways to enhance Japan-Taiwan relations, and touched on issues relating to the latest regional situations," Suzuki said via an interpreter.
"We have concluded that to make sure a 'Taiwan contingency' does not happen, we need to beef up our deterrence capabilities," he said, without elaborating.
Asked to comment if he and his Taiwanese counterparts discussed ways to enhance bilateral defense cooperation during their meetings in Taipei, Suzuki did not give a direct answer.
He declined to disclose details of his talks with Taiwanese officials, saying only that both sides agreed to work closely to uphold regional peace and stability.
Suzuki was joined by his fellow House of Representatives members from the LDP, including Akihisa Nagashima, a former special adviser to Ishiba, and Junichi Kanda, a former Japanese vice minister of justice.
Their visit came as Tokyo and Beijing are in a diplomatic spat over recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Japan's potential response to a "Taiwan contingency."
Takaichi last month said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would count as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and thus could warrant a military response from Tokyo, which drew an angry reaction from Beijing.
China's actions against Japan have included travel and study advisories, a ban on Japanese marine products and multiple rounds of military drills.
During today's press event, Nagashima said that the Taipei trip was planned months in advance and is not related to the ongoing Japan-China skirmish.
Lawmakers' traveling overseas to conduct exchanges are to continue despite the lack of official ties between Tokyo and Taipei, he said.
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