Tokyo: Describing Japan as a "powerful nation," President Lai Ching-te recently expressed his aspirations for Tokyo to assume a more prominent role on the world stage, while also enhancing trade ties with Taipei through a trade agreement.

According to Focus Taiwan, in his first interview with Japanese media since taking office in May 2024, Lai told Nikkei Asia about his commitment to strengthening Taiwan's relations with Japan and encouraged Japan to assert itself more in the global arena. Lai emphasized the importance of Japan taking a leading role amidst the evolving international landscape.

Lai further advocated for Japan to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan and to support Taiwan's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is a significant global trade bloc, comprising 12 members and representing approximately 15 percent of the global economy.

Addressing cross-Taiwan Strait relations, Lai highlighted China's unwavering ambition to annex Taiwan. He stressed the need for Taiwan to demonstrate strength to deter any misjudgments by China, while also expressing willingness to engage with China in a manner that respects Taiwan's sovereignty and promotes peace.

Lai also underscored Taiwan's intention to collaborate with global partners, including Japan, the U.S., and the Netherlands, to advance a "global semiconductor supply chain partnerships for democracies" initiative. He acknowledged each country's unique strengths and their potential contributions to this collaborative effort.