TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) called for closer cooperation with Japan to counter authoritarian regimes during the 11th annual Japan-Taiwan Exchange Summit on Tuesday.

In a pre-recorded video, Lai said democracies face expanding authoritarianism and that Taiwan looks forward to working with Japan to enhance economic and security resilience. Together, the two countries will uphold freedom and democracy and maintain peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, he said.

This year’s summit was held in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Lai praised the gathering as “an important platform” for Taiwan to be heard globally and to seek greater international participation.

“I firmly believe that by combining the strengths of both central and local governments and expanding our engagement, we can elevate Taiwan-Japan relations and build a brighter future together,” he said.

The summit, launched in 2015, is a forum for dialogue between local assemblies and councilors from both countries, the Tainan City Council said in a statement.

Attendees adopted the “Kanagawa Declaration,” which emphasized Taiwan’s role as a global hub deserving greater international recognition. It called for deeper Taiwan-Japan cooperation in emerging fields such as AI, renewable energy, drones, and low-Earth-orbit satellites.

The declaration also urged the creation of a “democratic supply chain” to strengthen economic security. Participants said they would call on the Japanese government to support Taiwan’s early accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and other international organizations to help maintain global peace and stability.