Defense & Security

For 1st time in 19 years, LDP ranking member visits Taiwan

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Koichi Hagiuda, left, speaks to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Saturday.

By Takafumi Yamasaki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:16 JST, December 11, 2022

TAIPEI — Koichi Hagiuda, chairperson of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council, visited Taiwan on Saturday and held a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei.

This was the first visit to Taiwan by such a high-ranking LDP official in 19 years. Current LDP Vice President Taro Aso was the last to do so in 2003, when he held the same post as Hagiuda.

Hagiuda and Tsai confirmed the strengthening of security cooperation between Japan and Taiwan in light of the growing military pressure on Taiwan by China.

“Together, we would like to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Tsai said during the meeting.

“Taiwan is an important partner,” Hagiuda said in response, “and we share fundamental values.”

After the meeting, Hagiuda met with reporters, saying, “We confirmed our basic stance that Japan and Taiwan will firmly protect the Taiwan Strait and that we will not allow the changing of the status quo by force.”