Japanese Lawmaker Meets Taiwan President to Show Support... China Warns of "Strong Measures"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] While U.S. politicians including Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a Japanese ruling party lawmaker also visited Taiwan and met with President Tsai. China responded by stating it would take "strong measures."

According to Japan's private broadcaster TBS on the 23rd, Keiji Furuya, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, visited Taiwan and held talks with President Tsai in Taipei.

Furuya was quoted by TBS as saying, "Taiwan is located at the geographical center of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Therefore, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are extremely important not only for our country's security but also for the international community."

He particularly criticized China's increasing military pressure on Taiwan, stating, "The people of Japan and Taiwan, who share common values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, absolutely cannot accept this." He emphasized the need for the international community to thoroughly suppress any attempts by China to change the status quo.

President Tsai said, "The international community must join hands and respond to the expansion and provocations of authoritarian regimes."

President Tsai met with U.S. politicians including Speaker Pelosi on the 2nd of this month, a delegation of senators and representatives on the 14th, and Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana (Republican), on the 22nd.

Since Speaker Pelosi's visit, the Chinese military, which has been conducting military demonstrations around Taiwan, reportedly continued to pressure Taiwan by crossing the Taiwan Strait on this day as well.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a spokesperson's statement on its website in the afternoon, saying, "Furuya visited Taiwan without considering China's stern negotiations, violently interfering in China's internal affairs, violating the 'One China' principle, and sending the wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces. China strongly condemns this despicable act and will take strong measures to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It continued, "Japan has serious historical guilt related to its colonial rule over Taiwan and must be cautious in its words and actions. Individual Japanese politicians have colluded with Taiwan independence forces for political gain, and the Japanese government has neglected this political manipulation, damaging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," criticizing Japan.

The spokesperson added, "Japan must deeply reflect on history, stop provocations regarding the Taiwan issue, and not stray further down the wrong path."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.