Japan's new defense chief quits as pro-Taiwan group senior member

Japan's new Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Friday he has quit as a senior member of a cross-party group of lawmakers dedicated to boosting Japan-Taiwan relations.Kihara told a press conference that he resigned as secretary general for the group before he officially became defense chief on Wednesday in a Cabinet reshuffle so that he could "devote" himself to his new duties.When asked about his view on the "one-China" principle, Kihara said, "Japan is consistent in maintaining working relations with Taiwan on a nongovernmental basis, based on a joint communique with China in 1972."In the…READ FULL ARTICLE