The Foreign Ministry announced Saturday, July 18, that Taiwan’s Global Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Academy (GUAVA) and the Japan Drone Consortium signed a letter of intent (LOI) in Tokyo. The LOI aimed to promote Taiwan-Japan drone diplomacy and industrial cooperation. 

The ministry stated that Taiwan has strong capabilities in manufacturing drone components and semiconductors. These strengths support a supply chain with more than 300 companies and make Taiwan a key player in the global non-red drone supply chain.

Chiang Zhen-wei (江振瑋), who heads the Foreign Ministry's drone diplomacy task force, attended the 2026 International Drone Expo in Tokyo from July 15 to 17 at the invitation of Japan Drone Consortium Chairperson Kenzo Nonami. Following the forum, the two sides signed the LOI, witnessed by Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋), Taiwan’s representative in Japan, and Yang Ma-Tian (楊馬田), Director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Japan Office.

Chiang claimed that Taiwan’s drone industry has three key strengths: advanced manufacturing capabilities, strong ICT expertise, and a resilient non-red supply chain. He said that the government will continue strengthening drone diplomacy by working with GUAVA, Japan, and other partners in the first island chain. Through these initiatives, Taiwan aims to expand its global influence in the unmanned vehicle sector.