Japan’s House of Councillors members, namely Kimura Keio, Horiwa Iwao, and Hirayama Sachiko, embarked on a delegation to Taiwan from today (24th) to the 26th, receiving a warm welcome from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China expressed that Kimura Keio and the other two House of Councillors members have been actively promoting exchanges between the Taiwanese and Japanese parliaments and localities for many years. They had previously visited Taiwan with the “Japan-Taiwan Legislators’ Roundtable” delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the 16th President and Vice President of the Republic of China on May 20th. This visit once again demonstrates Japan’s House of Councillors’ friendly and supportive attitude towards Taiwan through tangible actions.
During their stay in Taiwan, the delegation will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, Lin Chia-lung, the National Security Council, and the Legislative Yuan to exchange views on promoting parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan and regional affairs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that Taiwan-Japan exchanges are frequent and closely interactive, with both sides being important partners who share universal values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights. The visit of Japanese House of Councillors members to Taiwan this time highlights the solid friendship between Taiwan and Japan, contributing to further deepening substantial cooperation in various fields between the two sides.
Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China mentioned that during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Peru, Japanese Prime Minister Shiro Inoue emphasized the extreme importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during the “Trilateral Leaders’ Summit” on November 15th and the “Japan-China Leaders’ Meeting” on the 16th. The Ministry welcomed and appreciated Japan’s continuous expression of concern for the security of the Taiwan Strait.
Additionally, following the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit, a joint statement was issued reaffirming strong opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are indispensable elements for security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister Inoue also expressed deep concerns to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the current situation in the East China Sea and China’s frequent military operations during the Japan-China Leaders’ Meeting, urging China to handle the situation properly.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are vital to the security and prosperity of the international community, welcoming democratic countries to take actions that contribute to maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait. As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and work with like-minded partners such as the United States and Japan to uphold a rules-based international order, promoting freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the global community.