Germany and Japan Work More Closely

China’s aggressive regional actions are seen as a threat by many of its neighbors—which, in turn, are looking to gain support from allies. As the war in Ukraine continues, Germany and Japan are working more closely. In March, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led a high-level delegation of German cabinet ministers to Japan for talks on strategic collaboration (Deutsche Welle, March 18, 2023). Chancellor Scholz brought with him ministers of defense, economy and climate, transportation, finance, foreign policy, and interior. Each minister met with his or her Japanese counterpart and explored areas of future collaboration.

The COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine “exposed the vulnerabilities that stem from one-sided dependencies [on China]. And so, in 2022, Germany and Japan agreed to plan bilateral inter-governmental consultations to deepen their collaboration—with a focus on economic security.” The March meeting was Chancellor Scholz’s second visit to Japan in 11 months. He expects to return for G7 meetings this month. “Collaboration is to be intensified in many areas: the fight against the climate crisis, food security, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and others.” The two nations also plan to work together to locate new sources of critical minerals as they wean themselves from their dependency on China.

Japan and Germany are no strangers to each other. They fought on the same side just 80 years ago in World War II, and they have many needs and ambitions in common. They are both highly industrialized nations with sizable economies. Revelation 18 states that the end-time European “beast” power—likely led by Germany—will be a powerful global economic force for a short time before the return of Jesus Christ. With this understanding of the future in mind, it is interesting to watch Germany make further vital connections around the globe. For greater insights on this topic, be sure to read or listen to The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor, or Soon-Coming Reality?