Ishiba, Other Japanese Lawmakers Meet Taiwan Vice President

Jiji Press

11:01 JST, August 13, 2024

Taipei (Jiji Press)—A suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers, including Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Monday visited Taiwan and held talks with the self-governed island democracy’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim.

In the talks, held at the presidential office in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, the two sides exchanged opinions on maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific region and strengthening cooperation between Japan and Taiwan.

Ishiba told reporters after the meeting, “We were in complete agreement on what to do in the event of a contingency (in the Taiwan Strait), that we will work closely together.”

“It is important to make China well aware that even if it were to use force, it would not succeed, or it would pay a very heavy price,” Ishiba also said.

The group comprises six Japanese lawmakers, also including Shu Watanabe, former state minister of defense and a member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and Seiji Maehara, head of the new party Kyoiku Mushoka wo Jitsugen Suru Kai. During their stay in Taiwan through Wednesday, the lawmakers plan to meet with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, as well.