00:00A sudden announcement from Japan's prime minister on a Sunday afternoon.
00:05I have decided to resign as the Liberal Democratic Party president.
00:10Ishiba's resignation means he'll also vacate his role as prime minister.
00:15His decision comes amid mounting pressure and waning support
00:19from within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Under his leadership, the LDP and the smaller
00:25Komeito Party lost their coalition majority in both of Japan's parliamentary chambers.
00:32Ishiba had resisted prior calls to step down.
00:37As one of Taiwan's close neighbors, Japan plays a key role in regional peace and stability.
00:44The two countries share robust ties at a time when nearby China is ramping up aggression in the region.
00:50Beijing has threatened to take Taiwan by force, but under Ishiba, Japan helped keep China at
00:57arm's length. Japan has continued to go forward with some of its decision to deploy
01:04long-range military missiles to areas where it will potentially be considered as crucial
01:13for defending against a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
01:17And though a change in leadership is coming for the LDP, it seems unlikely that the party
01:25will shift its Taiwan-friendly policies, as most of the frontrunners for the party's next
01:29leader are also seen as being supportive of the country. But there's no guarantee Japan's
01:35next prime minister will be from the LDP. If it remains in power, it needs to form a coalition
01:42with other parties, each with their own stances.
01:45I think it's really coming back to what sort of partners do they decide and want to include
01:52into this coalition, and whether that is going to have a fundamental impact on Japan's foreign policy
02:00position.
02:01On Monday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said that while it won't comment on Japan's domestic affairs,
02:07Ishiba did indeed foster stronger Taiwan-Japan ties. Taipei says it will continue cooperating
02:14with Tokyo in multiple areas.
02:16Preparations are now underway to choose the next head of the LDP. Ishiba says he'll remain
02:22in office until a successor is named. A change in Japan's leadership is on the horizon,
02:28and a Taiwan will be keeping a close watch.
02:30Leon Lian and Leslie Liao for Taiwan Plus.
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