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U.S. lawmakers visiting Japanese leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together on Saturday morning.
The six members of Congress met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over breakfast, agreeing with him on the importance of maintaining a “free and open Indo-Pacific region,” according to the foreign ministry.
The visit of the six lawmakers – led by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham – comes with growing global tensions.
CHINA CONDUCTS MILITARY EXERCISES AS TWO-PARTY GROUP OF US LAW MEMBERS VISIT TAIWAN
The delegation includes Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Senator Ben Sass of Nebraska and Representative Ronnie Jackson of Texas.
On Friday, the bipartisan group met with Taiwanese President Cai Ying-wen, where they declared their support for self-governing island democracy.
In this photo, published by the Office of the President of Taiwan, members of a delegation of the US Congress, left, Representative Ronnie Jackson, R-Texas, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Sen. Richard Burr, RN.C., sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J., and sen. Lindsay Graham, RS.C., posed for a photo with Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen, center right, and other Taiwanese officials during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, April 15, 2022 (Presidential Office of Taiwan via AP)
The move angered China, and the nation held military exercises near Taiwan in protest.
China opposes any official exchange between the Taiwanese government and other foreign governments because it claims that Taiwan is part of its national territory, not an independent state. China and Taiwan split after the 1949 civil war.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijiang promised that China will “continue to take strong measures to resolutely protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In addition, North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles in March, prompting the United States to impose sanctions on five North Korean entities and Japan to impose its own penalties.
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North Korea has also said it is ready to use its nuclear capabilities South Koreaif her neighbor launches a “preemptive strike” following statements by a senior South Korean official.
Kim Yo-Chen, the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and an authoritative figure in her government, said South Korea was not their “main enemy”, according to the North Korean news agency KCNA Watch.
The Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida spoke at a press conference at the official residence of the Prime Minister on April 8, 2022, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin / Zuma Press)
This month, US and Japanese warships are conducting joint naval exercises in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula for the first time in five years.
Concerns among conservative politicians in Tokyo have intensified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Although Japan does not recognize Taiwan, they maintain friendly relations. The country’s pacifist constitution, adopted after its defeat in World War II, prohibits the use of force in international disputes.
Kishida told lawmakers that the bilateral alliance had shifted political party divisions, and the ministry said Tokyo had asked for US support for Japan’s ongoing efforts to bring back Japanese people who had been abducted from North Korea decades ago.
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North Korea returned some of the abductees in 2004.
Lawrence Richard of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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