Koichi Hagiuda, deputy secretary-general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, met Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. In the Taipei meeting, Hagiuda described relations as the best ever and expressed hope for further deepening. China firmly opposed the encounter and lodged a protest with Tokyo.
On December 22, 2025, Koichi Hagiuda, deputy secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, met Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the presidential office in Taipei. The meeting marked the first encounter since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's inauguration in October, following their last discussion in Taipei in September. Hagiuda described Japan-Taiwan relations as "the best ever" and expressed hope for continued deepening.
Hagiuda expressed gratitude for Taiwan's lifting of import restrictions on Japanese food products in November, imposed after the 2011 meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. As secretary-general of a suprapartisan league of Japanese lawmakers focused on Taiwan, he called for expanding cooperation beyond the progressing semiconductor manufacturing sector to wider fields.
Lai urged unity between the two sides, stating he believes Japan will make a greater contribution to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region. "If all democracies unite and cooperate, they will not be defeated," he said, in an apparent countermeasure against China. He hoped the sides would "join hands, stay united and support each other" to deepen ties in national strategy, regional partnerships, economic security, and high-tech industries, advancing a "free and open Indo-Pacific." Democracies must "stand together so as not to be picked off one by one."
Hagiuda's three-day visit to the self-governing island continues through Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Monday that Beijing "is firmly opposed and has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side," urging Japan to "reflect deeply on its mistake."
The meeting occurs amid strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing at their lowest in years. Last month, Prime Minister Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, prompting vehement Chinese backlash and calls for retraction.
