Taiwan, Japan ruling parties set to hold security talks Friday

Lawmakers from the ruling parties of Taiwan and Japan will hold bilateral talks online on a range of issues Friday including regional security and China, a legislative source said Wednesday.

The source confirmed Japanese media reports from last week that Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) will hold an online dialogue on security issues with Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and that the talks could take place as soon as this month.

Masahisa Sato and Taku Otsuka, the respective directors of the LDP’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense divisions, will participate in the talks, according to the reports.

The Japanese party officials will meet with Taiwan’s DPP legislators and the talks will be held virtually, according to the report.

According to the legislative source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, DPP lawmakers Lo Chih-cheng (???) and Tsai Shih-ying (???), will attend the session.

Lo and Tsai serve on the Legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee.

The talks will focus on diplomacy, regional security, and the direction of future cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and China is also expected to be discussed, the source said.

The two parties are still discussing how media coverage will be permitted, according to the source.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel