The news agenda last week was dominated by the US debt ceiling talks, a potential new offensive by Russia in Ukraine and a new EU green growth plan. Yet, largely below the global radar screen was a potentially hugely significant visit by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to Japan and South Korea.
Important as the South Korea leg was, the Japanese visit was particularly noteworthy. Stoltenberg this week said that Japan’s renewed focus on security made the nation “even more” of a partner “for peace,” and applauded plans to double defense spending, saying that this reflected the country’s resolve for greater security involvement in a volatile world.
Japan has long had close military ties with the US.
However, what is potentially particularly significant is the way that Tokyo’s ties with Europe are blossoming on the security front.
Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to France, Italy and the UK cemented the importance of security relations after the Ukraine war. Whereas some politicians in Europe and Japan might have regarded the bilateral alliance as nonessential in the past, it is increasingly viewed as indispensable.
The growing bond between Russia and China worries Japan and Europe. Meanwhile, the presidency of former US president Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021 showed that the US might not always be the dependable ally it once was, especially with the possibility that Trump could stand and win again in next year’s US presidential election.
Moreover, while Europe’s capitals and Tokyo have tended to see their relationships in the past as being centered around economics, including with the EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement agreed in recent years, this is changing. The bilateral partnership is increasingly seen in a broader strategic context, as last month’s discussions around security issues have shown.
For instance, Japan and the UK agreed to a new “reciprocal access” treaty that allows military forces from both nations to be deployed in each other’s countries.
This has been depicted as the most important military agreement between the two powers since 1902.
In France last month, key issues Kishida discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron included Ukraine; and strengthening French and Japanese security ties in the Indo-Pacific area, which Paris intends to make a priority axis of its diplomacy. France, which is already active in Japan’s civil nuclear industry, intends to strengthen its presence in that nation’s military industry as Tokyo recently announced to significantly increase the budget for its armed forces.
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Italy and Japan are looking to develop a new “strategic partnership.” On the security front, Italy recently joined with the UK and Japan to collaborate on developing a new fighter jet that uses artificial intelligence.
While Kishida did not visit Europe’s other G7 member, Germany, this time, there is no question that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has a pro-Japan view, too. Scholz recently acknowledged that his choice of Japan as his first Asia trip since becoming chancellor was “no coincidence” given close ties between Berlin and Tokyo.
While security issues are becoming increasingly key for Europe and Japan, economic and industrial issues remain important, too. With Europe and Japan concerned by the US Inflation Reduction Act, they are stepping up collaboration in a number of areas, including energy security and cooperation.
The EU-Japan memorandum of cooperation on hydrogen agreed to last month underlines the strength of the two powers in this area as shown in a study released last month which was jointly conducted by the European Patent Office and International Energy Agency. This assessed patents filed for all technologies relating to hydrogen between 2011 and 2020, and found Europe and Japan to be ahead of other world powers.
The key reason for Stoltenberg making his trip this week, and Kishida making his visit last month, is that Japan is chairing the G7 this year, which Europe regards as one of the most important G7 years in the post-Cold War era with the Ukraine war still under way.
As during the Cold War, when the G7 coordinated the West’s economic and security response to the Soviet Union, the G7 is likely to assume increasing importance as the Western allies put less emphasis in the G20 given Russia and China’s membership of that group.
There are some skeptics of the G7 producing any meaningful outcomes this year.
However, the Western club has previously been at its best in times of crisis. Indeed, that it was founded in 1975 in the aftermath of geopolitical and economic shocks when the US pulled out of the gold standard underlines that it can potentially be fit for purpose for turbulent times like today.
Back then in the mid-1970s, the G7 played a key role in the management of the key issues of the day, also formally bringing Japan into the Western policymaking community. A similar farsighted, strategic approach is needed in 2023.
Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
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