TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te called Monday for stronger cooperation between Taiwan and Japan to deter increasing military pressure from mainland China as he met former Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura in Taipei.

Claiming Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas have undermined regional peace and stability, Lai told Nishimura that the self-ruled island and Japan should work together to ensure maritime security and counter Beijing's "gray-zone" threats.

Gray-zone activity refers to aggressive acts that fall short of an armed attack. Lai also sought bilateral cooperation in such areas as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and drones.

The senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who had close ties with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, referred to Abe's claim that "a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency" and went further to assert that "a Taiwan contingency is a global contingency."

The House of Representatives member said he believes like-minded countries must work together to send a clear message in support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Nishimura's four-day trip to Taiwan through Tuesday came after a visit last week to the island by former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, who also had close ties with Abe.

Communist-led China claims Taiwan as its "inalienable" territory and tensions have been on the rise since Lai, who Beijing condemns as a separatist, assumed the presidency in May last year. The two sides have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war.