President Lai meets Former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan Nagashima Akihisa

On the afternoon of August 11, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Japanese House of Representatives Member Nagashima Akihisa, who formerly served as special advisor to the prime minister. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and Japan have not only faced natural disasters and a pandemic together, but also share the challenge of confronting authoritarian expansion. He noted that Taiwan is expanding this year's Han Kuang military exercises and Urban Resilience Exercises, and will continue strengthening its national defense capabilities and whole-of-society defense resilience. He expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan will deepen cooperation in areas including disaster prevention and early warning, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, undersea cable security, and the semiconductor industry, working together to build more resilient democratic supply chains and safeguard the happiness of the people of both countries.

A translation of President Lai's remarks follows:

I have the great pleasure of meeting with two old friends at the Presidential Office today. I recall that my last meeting with Representative Nagashima was in December of last year. For this visit, he is in Taiwan to participate in a Taiwan Strait policy simulation exercise jointly organized by the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies (JFSS) and the Formosa Republican Association (FRA). I would like to express my sincere appreciation for his continued commitment to peace in the region and his concern for Taiwan.

Also joining us is Koiso Akira, special advisor to the Liberal Democratic Party's Japan-Taiwan parliamentarians' friendship league in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. Special Advisor Koiso has been an old friend of mine since my days as mayor of Tainan. In 2024, he made a special trip to Taiwan to attend my and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao's inauguration ceremony. I am particularly pleased to see him again today and very much look forward to our conversation later.

Taiwan and Japan are geographically close, and our peoples share a close bond. We also share the universal values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, and our friendship has long surpassed that of ordinary friends, being more like the bond between family members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and Japan provided medical supplies to each other, and following the Noto Peninsula and Hualien earthquakes in 2024, people of both countries immediately reached out to offer a helping hand. When a major earthquake struck Kumamoto last month, the people of Taiwan were also deeply concerned, and both the government and civil society quickly launched relief efforts. I once again extend my condolences to those affected, and hope that the injured recover soon and that reconstruction in the affected areas proceeds smoothly and successfully.

Taiwan and Japan have faced natural disasters and a pandemic together, while also jointly confronting the challenges posed by authoritarian expansion. I have always believed that peace is priceless and that there are no winners in war. However, peace cannot be left up to hope for good faith by the aggressors; it must be backed by strength. Since taking office, I have specially designated a National Solidarity Month, integrating Taiwan's most important annual military exercises, the Han Kuang exercises, with Urban Resilience Exercises conducted region by region nationwide. This year, both exercises have been expanded compared to previous years, and will be conducted even more comprehensively in the future. Taiwan will continue strengthening its national defense capabilities and whole-of-society defense resilience, and I also look forward to deepening cooperation with Japan in areas such as disaster prevention and early warning, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and undersea cable security.

Taiwan holds advantages in semiconductors and AI, while Japan possesses strong capabilities in key materials, equipment, and precision manufacturing. Together, we can build more resilient democratic supply chains. The 17 strategic sectors proposed by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and the 13 strategic industries proposed by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) both cover fields such as semiconductors, AI, and information and communications technology. I firmly believe that Taiwan-Japan industrial exchanges will continue to grow closer in the future, and that the path we walk together will grow ever wider and more stable.

Finally, I would like to once again thank Representative Nagashima and Special Advisor Koiso for their longstanding support for Taiwan. I look forward to continuing to work together to safeguard the happiness of the people of both our countries.

Representative Nagashima then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him during the Han Kuang exercises. He also thanked President Lai and people across Taiwan for their heartfelt condolences and support following the recent major earthquake in Kumamoto.

Representative Nagashima went on to say that in the face of severe and intense military and economic pressure from a neighboring country, President Lai and Taiwan have consistently demonstrated a firm and unwavering stance. He reiterated his high regard and admiration for this, adding that there is much that Japan can learn from Taiwan.

Representative Nagashima said that he came to Taiwan this time to participate in a trilateral policy simulation involving Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, jointly organized by the JFSS and the FRA. He noted that participants agreed that experts from countries including the Philippines and Australia should be invited to participate next year; in addition, some from the US emphasized that the countries within the first island chain should stand united and continue working to maintain regional peace and stability. Representative Nagashima also noted that the policy simulation gave participants an even deeper understanding of the importance of solidarity and cooperation among countries in the region.

Representative Nagashima also mentioned that human rights and democracy are extremely important shared values between Japan and Taiwan. He once again expressed his heartfelt respect for Taiwan's steadfast commitment to protecting these values, and that going forward, Taiwan and Japan should deepen their ties not only in areas of security, but also in human rights and democracy.

The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.