President Lai Ching-te pledged to work with Japan to build a trusted and resilient democratic supply chain while meeting with Hideo Tarumi at the Presidential Office Sept. 24 in Taipei City.
Tarumi served in the minister’s secretariat of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was ambassador to China from 2020-2023. He was honored by former President Tsai Ing-wen with the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon in May 2024 for his outstanding contributions to bilateral relations.
At a time when China continues to engage in military activities in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, Taiwan and Japan need to work together to ensure regional peace and stability, the president said. He added that he expects to expand exchanges with Japan in security issues.
Lai said the government is stepping up efforts to enhance whole-of-society defense resilience in Taiwan through strengthening readiness in national defense, democracy, disaster prevention and the people’s livelihood. In particular, the president said Taiwan’s 2026 defense budget will be 3.32 percent of the gross national product and reach 5 percent by 2030, in alignment with NATO standards.
As Taiwan and Japan both hold key positions in the global high-tech supply chain, Lai said the two sides should work to build an even stronger partnership in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, new energy and drone development. He also called for fast-tracked negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement or economic partnership agreement.
In response, Tarumi praised Lai for his exceptional leadership in promoting the two-way ties and expressed gratitude for the president’s warm hospitality. (SFC-E)
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