Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul began his first trip in office to by praising his host country as Berlin’s “premium partner” in Asia, noting that Tokyo and Berlin share a “longstanding, deep and close friendship.”
Wadephul, speaking alongside Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, called democracy and adherence to the rule of law shared values, something he said was important in “a time of crises and conflict.”
Wadephul pointed to Ukraine, and Iran to “highlight that closer cooperation among friends and natural allies is becoming increasingly essential.”
The Japanese foreign minister also underscored the importance of a close partnership between the — both in and — in the face of threats to the .
Wadephul calls out ‘aggressive’ China
Wadephul was unambiguous about the source of the threat to democracy and rule of law in the region, railing against repeated threats to “unilaterally change borders” in the Asia-Pacific.
“China repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favor,” Wadephul said.
The German minister chided China’s “increasingly aggressive” behavior in the .
“Any escalation in this sensitive hub of international trade,” he said on Monday, “would have serious consequences for global security and the world economy.”
The “fundamental principles of our global coexistence,” he added, “are at stake here.”
Wadephul: China enabling Russian war in Ukraine
Lastly, Wadephul criticized “China’s support for the Russian war machine” and President.
The German foreign minister cited Beijing’s unique role in the conflict, saying: “Without it, the war of aggression against Ukraine would not be possible. China is Russia’s largest supplier of dual-use goods and Russia’s best oil and gas customer. Russia’s war in Ukraine is only made possible by China.”
Wadephul is scheduled to deliver a speech at a Japanese peace foundation and meet Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and before continuing on to .
Edited by Sean Sinico
The post Germany, Japan partner to face down ‘aggressive’ China appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
