Japan discusses regional defense in rare visit to Taiwan

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A group of Japanese lawmakers including two former defense ministers has met with Taiwan’s president in a rare high-level visit to discuss regional security. The delegation, led by lawmaker and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said it wanted to reach an agreement with Taiwan on defense issues and prepare for any potential conflict in the region, while also seeking to prevent conflict from breaking out. Ishiba said the two sides need to think ahead about what kinds of situations could happen, what kinds of laws and agreements they should prepare, and what kinds of armaments they could use. Ishiba noted that Japan is also working closely with the U.S. to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, saying the defense allies “had no choice” but to prepare.