TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is looking forward to deepening ties with Japan’s ruling party under Shigeru Ishiba’s leadership, Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said on Friday.
Former defence minister Ishiba is set to become Japan’s prime minister after winning a closely fought contest earlier on Friday in his fifth attempt to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Lai congratulates Ishiba, who visited Taipei last month and met Lai, on his election as LDP leader, the DPP said in a statement.
Both parties have a deep friendship and Lai has always attached great importance to the development of relations and looks forward to further deepening regular exchanges on all levels and co-operation under Ishiba, the DPP added.
As well as being president, Lai is also the DPP’s chairman.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a separate statement that it had told its de facto embassy in Tokyo to send congratulations on behalf of the government to Ishiba at the earliest opportunity.
Japan, like most countries, does not have formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. But after the United States Japan is the strongest supporter of Taiwan on the international stage, to the frequent anger of Beijing.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christina Fincher and Gareth Jones)
