Intense Criticism of China Prepares for Visits to Japan and Indonesia
In a significant move, Germany and Japan have joined forces to challenge China's increasingly assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. The focus is on maintaining free sea routes, fair trade, and a rules-based international order.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, currently on a trip to Japan and Indonesia, has publicly condemned China's "aggressive stance" in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas. He emphasised that China's attempts to change the status quo threaten fundamental global cooperation rules and have serious implications for Europe and worldwide security and trade.
Wadephul's visit to Japan featured a strategic dialogue between Germany and Japan, where both countries agreed to work together to uphold an international order based on binding legal rules, focusing on security in the Indo-Pacific and interconnected economic security. Japan, as Germany's partner in this dialogue, similarly shares concerns about China's regional assertions and supports maintaining freedom of navigation and commerce in these waters.
China, however, has sharply rebuffed Germany’s statements, accusing Berlin of "hyping up tensions" and framing the Taiwan issue as an internal affair. Nevertheless, Germany and Japan maintain their position, stressing dialogue based on international law rather than unilateral coercion.
This cooperation reflects shared values and interests in safeguarding a stable and open international order, particularly securing trading routes essential to both their economies as well as global prosperity. The future of secure freedom of navigation, global supply chains, and economic development of the world is decided in the Indo-Pacific, according to Wadephul.
Wadephul's trip aims to stand up for an international order based on the strength of law and rules binding on all. He plans to give a speech at a peace foundation in Tokyo and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and several ministers responsible for economic affairs in Tokyo on Monday.
Wadephul also expressed gratitude to Japan for its continued support of Ukraine, highlighting the close link between the security of Germany and Japan due to China and North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Germany, along with key partners like Japan and Indonesia, advocates for economic relations based on free trade, competition, and fairness. Major exporting economies like Germany and Japan, as well as emerging partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) such as Indonesia, are of crucial importance in this context, according to Wadephul.
In conclusion, Germany and Japan strongly advocate for free and secure maritime domains in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific, pushing back diplomatically against China’s assertiveness through multilateral engagement and promoting rule-based trade and security arrangements.
- In light of the increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, Germany and Japan are coordinating their policy-and-legislation efforts to maintain a rules-based international order, particularly focusing on issues of war-and-conflicts involving China.
- As part of their shared values and interests, Germany and Japan are also advocating for general-news coverage that encompasses economic relations based on free trade, competition, and fairness, given their significance as key trading partners in the region.
