Taiwan's opposition KMT is courting Japan to sell its China-friendly stance as good for regional stability — a neutral-to-positive development for Taipei-Tokyo ties, but one that puts Tokyo in the middle of Taiwan's cross-strait politics.

• KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung met former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Olympic Committee chief Seiko Hashimoto, and other Japanese lawmakers in Tokyo.
• Chang pitched the KMT's "1992 Consensus, oppose Taiwan independence" line as the way to calm cross-strait tensions.
• His message to Japan: if Taiwan stays out of trouble, Japan stays out of trouble too.
• Ishiba wants Japan to better understand the KMT's position and hopes to meet party chair Cheng Li-wun in person.
• The trip follows Cheng's own China visit in April and her donation to Japan's Kumamoto earthquake relief in July.

Outlook: Expect more KMT outreach to Tokyo, and possibly an Ishiba-Cheng meeting, as the party tries to win foreign backing for its China policy ahead of Taiwan's next election cycle.