Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has lauded Japan for a major shift in its security policy to significantly strengthen its defense capabilities, amid the increasing military threat posed by China toward the self-ruled island democracy.
During a meeting Wednesday in Taipei with Hiroshige Seko, the Upper House secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Tsai said Tokyo has shown the "resolve to maintain regional peace and stability" by boosting its defenses.
Tokyo cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1972, establishing them with Beijing instead. Seko's visit to the island is likely to trigger a harsh backlash from the Communist-led Chinese government, which has repeatedly described Taiwan as a "core interest."