TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) backed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a Friday (Nov. 21) interview at Kaohsiung City Council, Taiwan's southern port city. Chen emphasized strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations and highlighted close ties with the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's local office.
Chen emphasized deepening Taiwan-Japan exchanges would benefit Taiwan significantly. The mayor noted Takaichi's expertise in East Asian security and stressed building mutual trust for ongoing bilateral relations. Taiwan and Japan require solid foundations for future cooperation.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) demonstrated Japan support by sharing a Japanese-style lunch photo on Facebook Thursday (Nov. 20). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), Taiwan's ruling party, legislators including Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑), Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩), and others also showed Japan solidarity through various actions.
China-Japan tensions escalated after Takaichi's Thursday (Nov. 7) House of Representatives testimony about 'Taiwan contingency' triggering Japan's collective self-defense. China imposed countermeasures including suspending Japanese seafood imports and restricting travel. Beijing expressed strong discontent over Japan's potential military involvement in Taiwan scenarios. ◼
