Scholz and Ministers in Tokyo: What Germany wants to learn from Japan

Chancellor Scholz relies on Japan as an important ally – he underlined this again at the first joint government consultations. Apparently the chemistry between the heads of government is right.

The German and Japanese heads of government are familiar with each other in Tokyo and seem to get along well. The Chancellor also brought a lot of praise with him: Japan is a key value partner for Germany.

“We may be 9,000 kilometers apart, but we are united by democratic principles, a commitment to international law and an interest in free and secure trade routes,” said the Chancellor. And with the government consultations, these relationships are now being taken to a new level.

“We want to reduce dependencies”

The Russian war of aggression made Germany painfully aware of what strong dependencies in critical areas can lead to, Scholz continued. It’s not about isolating yourself. “We want to reduce dependencies and increase the resilience of our economies,” he said. From his point of view, the Japanese economic security concept offers some good solutions to these questions.

And quite specifically: “First, the protection of critical infrastructure. Japan and Germany can learn from each other how we can better protect sensitive areas. Second, secure supply chains and protect trade routes. Third, the security of our future energy supply.” Hydrogen will be the gas of the future: climate-neutral, clean and sustainable. “We are happy to have an important partner in Japan for the development of a global hydrogen economy,” said Scholz.

Restraint on arrest warrant against Putin

More cooperation is also envisaged on defence. Among other things, a ship will call at a Japanese port again next year – much to the delight of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

When asked how they both feel about the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Russian President Vladimir Putin, both respond cautiously. “We are very interested in these questions and will continue to monitor them,” said Kishida.

With a view to the Chinese President’s upcoming trip to Moscow, the Federal Chancellor said that it was already expected that the Chinese government would clearly speak of a war of aggression there as well and would also hold talks with the Ukrainian President.