According to the “Japan News Network” report, the two are expected to stay in Taipei until the 24th. During the period, in addition to meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China, he will also meet with officials from the Legislative Yuan and the Ministry of National Defense.
“Nihua Ken” is the largest group of Taiwan-friendly members of the Japanese Diet. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known as Japan’s largest Taiwan-friendly faction, served as an adviser to “Nihua Ken” during his lifetime.
Chen Wenjia, director of the National Research Center of Taiwan’s Kainan University, told this station that Furuya and his party’s visit to Taiwan obviously had an official mission from Japan, “From the private sector, then to the Congress, and this year, whether it is from the legislative or administrative parts. , if it can be connected in series, then I think the improvement or breakthrough of the relationship between Taiwan and Japan can actually be expected.”
Wang Yanlin, an assistant researcher at the Taiwan National Security Research Institute, said that the visit of “Rihua Ken” involved economic issues. If the economic interaction between the two sides can be deepened, it will be helpful for future cooperation. “Because in terms of economy, if If the degree of interdependence is relatively high, it is more likely that the cooperation in the economic field can span to the cooperation in the political field. Therefore, as for the itinerary of their visit this time, I actually think that the relationship between Japan and Taiwan is an important issue. Very helpful”.
Before his departure, Keiji Furuya posted on Twitter on the 22nd: “China’s (CCP) military provocation and other deviant actions not only offend Taiwan, but also the peace and security of East Asia as a whole. In the face of such risks, we share the same values. countries need to work closely together.”
On the same day, a number of Japanese government sources disclosed the details of the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s 2023 defense budget, with an application amount of 5,594.7 billion yen (about 40.7 billion U.S. dollars), a record high.
Chen Wenjia said that the threat of the Chinese Communist Party, the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the nuclear threat of North Korea have made Japan shift from domestic defense to both offense and defense. “Of course we are also happy to see that Japan’s military spending can increase significantly in fiscal year 2023. Then I think, only with strength can there be peace.”
Wang Yanlin pointed out that raising the defense budget requires a certain basis of public opinion. At present, Japan’s defense budget is still far from the previously proposed 2% of GDP. “If China (the CCP) continues to use this kind of civil attack and military intimidation, and even often conducts exercises, or uses warships or planes to circumnavigate the first island chain, and often take such threatening measures, I think, Regarding the Japanese people’s perception of national defense, it should consolidate their awareness of strengthening national defense. With this awareness, Japan’s defense budget may continue to run up.”