German Chancellor Merz visits Japan on the 28th for security and communication with China

[Berlin Current Affairs] On the 28th, German Chancellor Merz will visit Japan for the first time since taking office in May last year, and will meet with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. We will communicate about the security environment, such as the situation in Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia, and the movements of hegemonic China, and work together to stabilize the international community. Top executives from around 30 German companies accompanied them. Germany, which aims to break away from its dependence on the United States, wants to deepen cooperation with Japan in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear fusion.

The defense industry is emerging as a new area of ​​cooperation. Germany, which is collaborating with Ukraine, is accumulating know-how in modern warfare such as drone technology. Momentum for cooperation is increasing on the Japanese side as well, as the ban on the export of lethal weapons has been lifted in principle. A German diplomatic source emphasized, ``Japan is one of the most reliable partners in Asia.We would like to take a step forward and strengthen our relationship in the security and defense fields.''

Germany, whose cooperation with France to develop the next fighter jet has stalled, is considering joining the Global Combat Aviation Program (GCAP), a collaboration between Japan, the UK, and Italy. With time running out, efforts are underway to make adjustments between Germany and the UK, and it is likely that this will also be a topic of discussion between the Japanese and German leaders.

In recent years, Germany has become increasingly concerned about China's export restrictions on rare earths, other important minerals, and semiconductors, and trade friction has become an issue. Regarding economic security, another diplomatic source said, ``We would like to learn from Japan's example of diversifying its supply chain.''

Meanwhile, Germany has reached an agreement with France regarding preferential treatment for ``European-made'' cars being considered by the European Union (EU), noting that vehicles manufactured not only in China but also in Japan will not be subject to protection, and Takaichi plans to request that Japanese cars not be treated disadvantageously at the talks.

A wide range of cooperation has been progressing between Japan and Germany since the beginning of this month. The German military participated in the Japan-U.S. joint exercise Keen Sword for the first time, emphasizing its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. The Mars satellite probe ``MMX'' launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is equipped with a small rover made in Germany and France.