Taiwan's Lai, ex-Japan minister agree to ensure economic security
TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and former Japanese economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi agreed Wednesday on the importance of building "non-red" supply chains among democratic partners to counter the influence of China-led "red" supply chains, according to Lai's office.
The House of Representatives member, who was defeated by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election last September, reaffirmed strong ties between Tokyo and Taipei in his talks with Lai, saying Japan's strategic policy is to "never allow Taiwan to become isolated."
Referring to the importance of trilateral cooperation between Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, Kobayashi said the main purpose of his three-day visit to the island through Friday is to exchange views with Taiwan on concrete steps to build supply chains that exclude Communist-led China.
Since their split in a civil war in 1949, China has regarded Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure on the island. Beijing denounces Lai as a separatist.
The Taiwan leader expressed confidence that building on the foundation of Taiwan-Japan cooperation, democracies can link their industrial chains to secure global economic resilience and sustainability.
In a separate meeting with Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo, Kobayashi said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are directly linked to Japan's national interests and that Tokyo looks forward to working with the territory to help safeguard regional peace and stability, according to a Taiwan Defense Ministry statement.
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