Taiwan and Japan are pushing to tie their economies closer together, a positive sign for both sides as they face growing pressure from China.

• Former Japanese agriculture minister Yasuhiro Ozato visited Taipei and called Taiwan and Japan each other's most important partners.
• Both sides want deeper cooperation on supply chain resilience, especially in chips, which are now treated as a national security asset.
• TSMC's plant in Kumamoto was held up as proof the partnership works, bringing new business to southern Japan.
• Taiwan thanked Tokyo for repeatedly raising peace in the Taiwan Strait at international meetings.
• Both countries sit on the first island chain and face the same Chinese military and gray-zone pressure.

Outlook: Expect more Taiwan-Japan deals in chips, trade, tourism and farming, with China likely to object loudly.