Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to hold talks with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Tokyo on Friday and is likely to reaffirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which is critical to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, government sources have said.
The plan came to light after Pelosi's two-day visit to Taiwan through Wednesday — an act that angered China, since it claims the democratic self-ruled island as its territory, and has heightened cross-strait tensions, with the Chinese conducting military exercises and imposing trade restrictions.
Kishida and Pelosi are expected to bolster their cooperation in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, and discuss how to deal with China's increasing pressure on Taiwan, the sources said.
Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Pelosi is on an Asian tour that has also taken her to Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea.
While in Taiwan, Pelosi held talks with the island's President Tsai Ing-wen. Pelosi was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the island in 25 years.
Pelosi was initially scheduled to visit Japan in April to hold talks with Kishida, but the trip was postponed after she contracted COVID-19.