The policy chief of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Hagiuda Koichi, who is visiting Taiwan, met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday.

It is the first visit to Taiwan in 19 years by a person who holds one of the LDP's three key posts of secretary-general, policy chief or head of the General Council.

Tsai said Hagiuda is an important friend like former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, and that Taiwan wants to deepen its collaborative relationship with Japan in security and other fields.

Hagiuda said Taiwan is an important partner, with whom Japan shares such basic values as freedom, democracy and rule of law, and has close economic ties and human exchanges.

He said he wants to look back at the relationship of trust and friendship and use it as the first step towards building a new relationship over the next 50 years.

Hagiuda is scheduled to give a speech on security issues at a gathering in Taipei on Japan-Taiwan relations on Sunday.