To counter the military expansion of the Communist Party of China, Japan is actively promoting stronger partnerships with its allied countries. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting Germany next month to hold a summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, discussing economic security and defense cooperation issues, and strengthening bilateral relations.
According to a report by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Kishida has been invited to attend the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., in early next month. The report cited a Japanese government official who wished to remain anonymous, saying that Kishida is also considering visiting Germany and holding a summit with Scholz while attending the meeting.
At this summit, the leaders of both countries will exchange views on issues in the field of economic security based on the high-level “intergovernmental agreement” initiated last year, amid the increasingly unstable international order. Topics of discussion may include the protection of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, as well as establishing a robust mineral resources and semiconductor supply network.
The two sides will also discuss strengthening defense cooperation between Germany and Japan against the backdrop of the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Communist Party of China intensifying its maritime expansion in East Asia.
In May of this year, Deutsche Welle (DW) released a documentary pointing out that since the era of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany has pursued an economic cooperation policy with China based on “technology-for-cheap-goods” exchange. Combined with a misjudgment that authoritarian countries lack innovation, this has led to Germany’s economy becoming highly dependent on China.
However, after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the German government began to think about how to “de-risk” and reduce reliance on the Communist Party of China. Last year, the German government approved its first strategic approach to China, defining the Communist Party of China as a “cooperative partner, competitor, and systemic rival,” urging Germany to reduce its dependence on Chinese goods.
In February of this year, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner posted on the social media platform “X,” stating that the trade imbalance with the Communist Party of China is a “dangerous development.” He further expressed that in order to avoid increased reliance on China, Germany urgently needs to “change course” and focus on increasing free trade with “value partners.”