Takaichi's victory could fast-track Taiwan-Japan EPA: Expert

Taipei/Tokyo, Feb. 7 (CNA) After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's sweeping victory in a snap lower house election, Taiwan could see substantive progress in its pursuit of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan, an expert said Monday.

Lim Chuan-tiong (林泉忠), a research fellow at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, told CNA that he expected that with Takaichi's power cemented by the vote, Taiwan and Japan will see an increase in economic exchanges.

In an attempt to consolidate her leadership, Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, dissolved the House of Representatives in late January. Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) went on to secure 316 of the lower house's 465 seats in Sunday's election, marking a record haul since the chamber adopted its current form in 2017.

The Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the LDP's coalition partner, won 36 seats, giving the ruling alliance more than three-quarters of the total seats in the lower house.

Lim said President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) met with Takaichi in Taipei last year, raising the issue of the signing of an EPA with Japan, while Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) received Japanese lawmakers recently, and also talked about the hoped-for EPA.

"Takaichi used to serve as Japan's Minister of State for Economic Security and she has a better understanding about the strategic meaning of signing an EPA for Japan and Taiwan," Lim said.

"I believe under the reign of Takaichi, there is a higher chance Japan and Taiwan will sign an EPA, a way to further push for bilateral economic cooperation," Lim added.

In addition to economic and trade issues, Lim said in the interview with CNA that Japan and Taiwan are expected to interact with each other more frequently.

"Despite tensions with China, Japanese lawmakers have visited Taiwan frequently," Lim said. "That demonstrates the China factor has never weakened ties between Japan and Taiwan."

"Takaichi's overwhelming win is expected to make even more Japanese lawmakers willing to visit Taiwan," he said.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has set up the Department of Youth Development since last year, advising the department launch exchanges with the LDP's Youth Division, Lim noted, adding that he expects the DPP and LDP to engage in more frequent cross generation exchanges under Takaichi's term in office.