Taiwan's opposition KMT is pitching Japan on a softer line toward Beijing, framing calmer cross-strait ties as good news for Japan's own security — a message Japanese lawmakers, including former PM Shigeru Ishiba, welcomed.

• KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung met Ishiba, Olympic Committee chief Seiko Hashimoto, and several other Diet members in Tokyo.
• His core pitch: "if Taiwan is calm, Japan is calm" — Taiwan has a duty to ease tensions with China so it doesn't drag neighbors into trouble.
• The KMT says it will do that through the "1992 Consensus" and opposing Taiwan independence, which it argues follows the ROC constitution.
• Ishiba said Japan should better understand the KMT's position and wants to meet party chair Cheng Li-wun, who recently visited mainland China.
• Both sides agreed to expand contact, with sports and youth exchanges pushed as the easiest entry point for Taiwan-Japan-China ties.

Outlook: Expect the KMT to keep using Japan as a stage to sell its China-friendly line ahead of Taiwan's local elections, with a possible Ishiba–Cheng meeting next.