Japan, EU make ‘competitive alliance,' deepen security ties

Asahi Shimbun

7 days ago

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center, meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, in Tokyo on July 23. (Takeshi Iwashita)
Japan and the European Union have announced the launch of a new Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance, pledging deeper cooperation on security and economic issues amid shared global challenges.
The announcement came during the 30th Japan-EU Summit, held in Tokyo on July 23, where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.
'A strong and stable Japan-EU relationship is indispensable for maintaining a free and open international order based on the rule of law,' Ishiba said at a joint news conference.
Von der Leyen echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for even closer cooperation to confront the realities of the time.
Following the first Japan-EU summit in two years, the leaders issued a joint statement calling for a stable and predictable economic order that is rules-based, free and fair.
They emphasized the need to strengthen supply chain resilience, particularly for critical minerals such as rare earths.
This initiative aims to counter China's dominance in rare earth production and its use of export controls for economic coercion.
They plan to collaborate on mining and refining technologies and projects in Africa, sharing investment risks, according to Japanese government officials.
The cooperation is particularly important given the crucial role that rare earths play in auto manufacturing, a major sector for both Japan and the EU.
Identifying a stronger defense industry base as a shared priority for Japan and the EU, the statement announced plans to launch the Japan-EU Defense Industry Dialogue.
Both sides also welcomed the start of formal negotiations on the Japan-EU Security of Information Agreement.
Japan and the EU affirmed that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific is 'interconnected,' building on last year's Japan-EU Security and Defense Partnership.
Both have traditionally depended on the United States for security, but concerns have grown over its shifting stance under President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed tariffs on allies and expressed skepticism toward multilateralism.
In an interview with German media in April, von der Leyen remarked that the West, as it was once known, no longer exists, suggesting that the United States can no longer be regarded as an unshakable ally.
Shared concerns over China were also evident.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told The Asahi Shimbun on July 23 that China is a pivotal country enabling Russia's war in Ukraine, pointing to its purchases of Russian oil that help finance Moscow's aggression.
Kallas emphasized the importance of cooperation among like-minded partners such as Japan and the EU.
In the joint statement, Japan and the EU underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, reaffirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
With tensions rising in the area, Japan views closer ties with the EU as a strategic message to deter China, particularly given that the EU-China summit was scheduled for the following day in Beijing.
(This article was written by Azusa Kato and Chinami Tajika in Tokyo and Azusa Ushio in Brussels.)