Japan-Taiwan ties key to regional stability: Visiting lawmakers

Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) A senior member of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) on Tuesday called for closer Tokyo-Taipei cooperation, including on drone and space-based technologies, to meet modern defense needs and promote regional peace and stability.

Former JIP leader Nobuyuki Baba said at a press event in Taipei that he and a delegation of JIP lawmakers met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) earlier Tuesday and discussed bilateral relations, U.S.-China relations and other issues.

Baba thanked Taiwan for its generous donations to help people affected by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture late last month, causing widespread infrastructure damage and transportation disruptions and killing at least 38 people.

"True friendship reveals itself through adversity," he said, adding that Japan and Taiwan have always been there for each other in times of crisis.

According to the Taiwan government, a dedicated bank account set up to accept private donations had received more than NT$300 million (US$9.42 million).

In addition to the fundraising campaign, the Taiwan government donated NT$5 million to support reconstruction efforts in Kumamoto Prefecture following the earthquake, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Baba also said his delegation and Lai agreed that both sides should continue to deepen bilateral cooperation and exchanges in areas such as the economy, culture, tourism and natural disaster preparedness.

On regional security, Baba said Lai told him that Taiwan is strengthening its self-defense capabilities.

The Japanese government is also considering strengthening its self-defense capabilities amid rising regional and global tensions, he said.

The JIP, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also hopes to harness drone and space-based technologies to revolutionize national defense and logistics and meet the challenges posed by modern warfare, Baba said.

Tokyo and Taipei should also work together to complement each other's capabilities and jointly develop cutting-edge technologies, including drones, he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Lai welcomed Baba and the JIP delegation to Taiwan at the Presidential Office.

The JIP has long maintained a Taiwan-friendly stance, Lai said, citing the party's donation of 30 million Japanese yen (US$192,369) to Taiwan following the deadly 2024 Hualien earthquake to support post-disaster reconstruction.

The July 28 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture also prompted Taiwanese people to donate to disaster relief and reconstruction efforts in Japan, Lai said.

"The mutual assistance between Taiwan and Japan demonstrates the deep friendship between our two nations -- a bond truly tested and proven in times of adversity," Lai said.

Lai said Taiwan looks forward to an even stronger partnership between the two countries under the LDP-JIP coalition, to jointly build a "non-red" supply chain, thereby enhancing the resilience of global democratic supply chains and strengthening economic and trade cooperation.

The visiting delegation includes JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita and JIP Diet members Kaori Takagi, Takumi Shibata, Koichiro Ichimura, Toru Azuma, Mitsuko Ishii, Daisuke Katayama, Kenta Aoshima, Futoshi Okazaki and Megumi Ishii.