The row between Japan and China was triggered by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting this month that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
Lai, an outspoken defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by China, has accused Beijing of "severely" affecting regional peace in the escalating spat.
A photo of a smiling Lai holding a plate of sushi was posted on his Facebook page.
"Today's lunch is sushi and miso soup," a message posted with the photo said, along with the hashtag #Yellowtail from Kagoshima and scallops from Hokkaido.
Similar photos were posted on Lai's X account, with the message and hashtag written in Japanese.
A video of Lai suggesting to followers that now "might be a good time to eat Japanese cuisine" was also shared on his Instagram page.
"It fully shows the strong friendship between Taiwan and Japan," Lai said as he held the plate of sushi.
China's foreign ministry branded Lai's posts a "stunt".
The posts followed media reports in Tokyo on Wednesday that China will suspend Japanese seafood imports. Neither government has confirmed the move.
China has already summoned Tokyo's ambassador and advised its citizens against travel to Japan after the clash over Takaichi's comments.
The release of at least two Japanese movies will also be postponed in China, according to state media.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Japan should "behave with dignity" and take "concrete actions", including retracting Takaichi's statement, to repair ties.
"Simply asserting that its position (on Taiwan) remains unchanged does nothing to address China's concerns", she said at a regular news conference.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said last week his country's position on Taiwan was "unchanged" despite Takaichi's remarks.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) "has used tactics such as economic coercion and military intimidation to bully other countries" but urged Taiwanese to travel to Japan and buy Japanese products.
"At this critical moment we must support Japan to be able to stabilise the situation, to stop the CCP's bullying behaviour," he said on Thursday.
US ambassador to Japan George Glass vowed that Washington would stand by Tokyo during the dispute.
"Coercion is a hard habit to break for Beijing," Glass wrote on X on Thursday.
"But just as the United States stood by Japan during China's last unwarranted ban on Japanese seafood, we will be there for our ally again this time."
Taiwan charges Chinese national and six others for spying
Taipei (AFP) Nov 18, 2025 -
Taiwanese prosecutors charged seven people, including a Chinese national, on Tuesday with violating national security after they allegedly collected military secrets for China.
China claims democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to take it, while Taipei accuses Beijing of using espionage and infiltration to weaken its defences.
The Chinese national surnamed Ding used business or tourism as pretexts to visit Taiwan multiple times, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said in a statement.
It said Ding allegedly recruited active and retired Taiwanese service members to "collect sensitive information" on Taiwan's military, defence and government affairs for the Chinese Communist Party.
The seven defendants have been charged with offences under the National Security Act, Classified National Security Information Protection Act, Criminal Code, and Criminal Code of the Armed Forces, prosecutors said.
An eighth person has been charged with banking and money laundering offences in connection with the case.
"These defendants betrayed their comrades-in-arms and betrayed their own nation, and should face the most severe legal sanctions," prosecutors said of the Taiwanese accused, adding that they had asked the court to impose heavy sentences.
Ding was arrested in Taiwan in July, an official at the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) told AFP.
A spokesman for the High Prosecutors Office said it was the first time a Chinese national had been charged with spying on Taiwanese soil since 2017.
Most Chinese infiltration in Taiwan is conducted "remote control from abroad" and uses "local collaborators", the MJIB said.
The case was uncovered during an internal probe by Taiwan's defence ministry and was investigated by a number of agencies.
While Taipei and Beijing have spied on each other for decades, experts warn that the threat to Taiwan is more serious given the risk of a Chinese attack.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau has said that 64 people were prosecuted for Chinese espionage last year, compared with 48 in 2023 and 10 in 2022.
Prison sentences reached as high as 20 years.
Taiwan sentenced four former members of the Democratic Progressive Party -- the party of President Lai Ching-te -- in September for spying for China. Among them was a former staffer in the Presidential Office.
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Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com
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