In late July, Lin Chia-lung , Republic of China (Taiwan) Foreign Minister, made an unannounced visit to Japan, which is becoming the first ROC foreign minister to set foot on Japanese soil since Japan transferred diplomatic recognition in 1972. Japanese media called it “highly unusual,” While Beijing denounced it as a “clandestine visit,” summoning Japanese diplomats in protest, but Tokyo downplayed the incident and avoided any visible action. Compared with earlier visits by Tsai Ing-wen or Lai Ching-te, where Tokyo emphasised the tours are “private” and maintained silence. Japanese diplomats are willing to disclosed Lin’s meetings, showing a new level of bilateral relations.
For over fifty years since the break in relations, while dialog between political parties of both countries have continued, official high-level visits remained tightly restricted. Japan’s foreign ministry has long maintained a “blacklist of five” for ROC leaders—the president, vice president, premier, defense minister, and foreign minister. Even as Washington occasionally makes exceptions, Tokyo has been more conservative. The last major breach came in 2022, when Vice President Lai attended Abe Shinzo’s funeral, treated strictly as a one-off “exception.” Lin’s three-day stay, during which he openly met parliament members of Japan, and even visited Taiwan’s de-facto embassy in Tokyo, marked a far greater breakthrough. It also reflects how Japanese public opinion and political elites, increase their worry of the PRC, are shifting away from their past caution.
