Japan-Germany Leaders' Summit Deepens Security and Economic Cooperation, Underscoring Importance of Maintaining Peace in Taiwan Strait | WPN World People News

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Japan on the 28th and held bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo. Following the meeting, the two sides issued a joint statement and a declaration on economic security cooperation, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. Chancellor Merz noted that the prohibition on the use of force under the UN Charter applies equally to the Taiwan Strait, urging that cross-strait issues be resolved peacefully. Prime Minister Takaichi stated that Japan and Germany agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a "Premium Partnership," aiming to prevent major powers from undermining the international order through deepened defense and security cooperation, while stressing that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is indivisible.

Beyond regional security issues, economic security was placed at the core of their bilateral cooperation. Both nations voiced deep concern over China's economic coercion, including export controls on critical minerals such as rare earths. The two sides pledged to bolster the supply chain resilience of semiconductors and strategic goods, mitigating the risks of overreliance on a single market. In addition, Japan and Germany reached a consensus to establish high-level dialogues on artificial intelligence (AI) issues to counter threats posed by AI-generated disinformation; enhance cross-border technical collaboration on AI applications across robotics, semiconductors, mobile communications, and defense technology; and consider Germany’s potential participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) for next-generation fighter jet development.

In response to the joint statement issued at the Japan-Germany summit, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement expressing a warm welcome. MOFA emphasized that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are an indispensable cornerstone of regional security and global economic prosperity, adding that the stance taken by Japan and Germany demonstrates that maintaining the status quo across the strait has become an international consensus. Taiwan will continue to uphold its "integrated diplomacy" approach,deepening cooperation with like-minded partners such as Japan and Germany to jointly safeguard democratic values and the rules-based international order.