Taipei: Japanese ruling party executive Koichi Hagiuda on Sunday vowed to elevate the Japan-Taiwan partnership to a new stage.

In a forum held in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, Hagiuda, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council, also said that actions that heighten military tensions should not be taken, apparently referring to China, whose growing coercion is a source of concern in the region.

A joint semiconductor plant of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s leading chip foundry, Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. and major Japanese auto parts maker Denso Corp. is a symbol of Japan-Taiwan cooperation, he noted, saying he hopes that Japan and Taiwan will lead the world in the field of semiconductors as they work hand in hand.

The factory is under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

With China in mind, Hagiuda said, “Using economic power in a way that violates international rules cannot be tolerated,” expressing his support for Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade initiative led by Japan.

On some of missiles fired by China in early August falling into waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Hagiuda said China proved with its action that the view raised by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that a contingency in Taiwan is a contingency in Japan is correct.

On Aug. 4, China fired some 10 missiles into waters around Taiwan, in a show of protest against U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan earlier in August.

Some of the missiles fell into the Japanese EEZ.

Hagiuda said he aims to achieve the Japanese government’s target of raising the country’s defense spending to 2 pct of its gross domestic product earlier than planned.

As a measure to secure financial resources for the defense spending hike, Hagiuda cited reforms of other spending items, adding that reviewing rules on the redemption of Japanese government bonds is “worth considering.”

JIJI Press