Taipei: President Lai Ching-te on Thursday met with a visiting delegation from the Youth Division of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the Presidential Office, with both sides calling for increased collaborations on security and semiconductors. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are critical to global security and prosperity, Lai told the delegation led by Director of the division Yasutaka Nakasone, who is also a member of the Japanese House of Representatives.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lai emphasized the importance of more exchanges in areas that facilitate stability across the broader Indo-Pacific region. He also called for deeper collaboration in the semiconductor sector, highlighting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) venture in the Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, where TSMC’s first factory began mass production last December and a second plant is under construction. Lai noted that Taiwan’s strength in manufacturing and Japan’s advantages in materials, equipment, and technology allow the two sides to complement each other.

Meanwhile, Nakasone echoed Lai’s views, noting that semiconductor cooperation between Taiwan and Japan benefits both sides amid global economic turbulence brought about by U.S. President Donald Trump. He also emphasized Japan’s recognition of the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and committed to raising global awareness of the issue.

The delegation led by Nakasone arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for a five-day visit, marking the second Japanese group to visit Taiwan in a week, following a delegation led by Japanese Diet member and former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi. The delegation includes House of Representatives members Shojiro Hiranuma, Taku Nemoto, and Kaoru Fukuda, and House of Councillors member Masayuki Kamiya.