At an online news conference, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Secretary-General Chou Shyue-yow (周學佑) extended his congratulations to Kishida. Former minister of foreign affairs Fumio Kishida, center, reacts after being elected as the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: AFPThe outcome has raised hopes that Kishida would support Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, given his vocal support for Taiwan during the campaign. In related news, Yuki Tatsumi, a Japanese academic at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, on Wednesday said that Kishida is unlikely to soften his country’s foreign policy toward Beijing. Against that backdrop, Japanese politicians, especially those in the LDP, have revised their stance toward Taipei and are considering further improvement of bilateral relations, she said.

Source: Taipei Times September 30, 2021 15:56 UTC