Taiwan lawmakers' Japan visit boosts bilateral ties: Envoy

Tokyo, Sept. 27 (CNA) A cross-party delegation led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) visited Japan's key political figures, creating dialogue between the nations, Taiwan's top envoy to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) said Friday.

At a banquet in Tokyo, Lee called the visit "a major step forward in Taiwan-Japan relations," adding that he looks forward to similar events in the future.

In response to Lee, Han thanked the overseas Taiwanese community, noting they are always the first to help in times of need, saying that "unity is an invisible strength" that should transcend political divisions.

The 12-member delegation, composed mainly of Kuomintang and Democratic Progressive Party legislators, arrived in Japan on Thursday and visited Taro Aso, supreme advisor of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

On the same day, the group also met with Keiji Furuya, who heads the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council.

On Friday afternoon, the group visited members of the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP), Japan's third-largest opposition party, at the Members' Office Building of the House of Councillors in Tokyo.

DPFP President Yuichiro Tamaki thanked the delegation and offered condolences to those affected by Typhoon Ragasa in Hualien, voicing his hope for cooperation in disaster prevention as Japan faces similar risks.

The delegation later visited former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, now leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the country's largest opposition party.

During a 2024 visit to Taiwan, Noda pledged that Japan would continue promoting peace in the Taiwan Strait and supporting Taiwan's international participation.