VP Lai receives Japanese LDP delegation

2023/08/23

Vice President Lai Ching-te met with Norikazu Suzuki, member of Japan’s National Diet and director of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Youth Division, who led a 65-member delegation to exchange views on bilateral prosperity and regional peace and stability Aug. 21 in Taipei, according to the Presidential Office.

Lai hailed the division as an important political force in the Japanese parliament that plays a crucial role in facilitating the country's overall development. He also commented on the closeness between the people of Taiwan and their Japanese neighbors, citing as evidence the robust exchange of travelers the two countries share.

The vice president said that Taiwan is Japan's fourth-largest trading partner at present and Japan is Taiwan's third-largest, adding that in 2022 the total trade value between the two countries reached a record high of more than US$88 billion. In addition to economic cooperation, Lai emphasized the regional and international benefits of collaborating to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In response, Suzuki said Taiwan and Japan are genuine friends who share the universal values of democracy and human rights. Cross-strait peace and stability are closely linked with the welfare of Japan and the international community, he continued, saying that the Youth Division has always carefully considered what measures to take to bolster security in the region.

Suzuki closed with a pledge to deepen the two-way bond based on the solid foundation laid by his predecessors. 


Source: Noticias de Taiwan (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)