Source: China – South China Morning PostA high-level Japanese group is visiting Taiwan to discuss ways to prepare for a possible conflict as Beijing intensifies its sabre-rattling. “To maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region … we need to think ahead about what kind of situation would happen,” former Japanese defence minister Shigeru Ishiba said during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at her office in Taipei on Thursday. Taiwan ‘will have to bear wrath of Beijing’ if Pelosi visit goes ahead “And after it happens, we should think about what agreements or laws or military actions should be employed to contain that situation.” Ishiba and another former defence minister Yasukazu Hamada were leading a cross-party delegation that also included former deputy defence chief Akihisa Nakashima and Takayuki Shimizu, a member of the upper house, for a four-day visit that began on Wednesday. The four are all members of a parliamentary security group jointly founded by Ishiba and Hamada in 2019. Ishiba said both Japan and Taiwan must reach an understanding of what they must do before any conflict erupts. He said Japan had a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and was working closely with the United States to prevent conflict. “[I] hope through the visit, Taiwan and Japan would be able to find out how to cooperate and build consensus to resolve issues one by one,” he said. Tsai welcomed the visit and thanked Japan for speaking up about the importance of maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait on various international platforms. “Safeguarding Taiwan is not just about safeguarding its sovereignty. It is also about regional security as Taiwan is situated in the first island chain – a key defence line in the region,” she said. Taiwan begins 5 days of war games simulating PLA attack Another Japanese lawmaker, former deputy defence minister Suzuki Keisuke, also visited the island earlier this week, attending a security seminar and meeting Tsai on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Beijing has promised to take …Read More