Merkel travels to Japan: multilateral friends

Before the arrival of the German Chancellor in Tokyo politicians praise the German-Japanese relations. Just in a confusing world situation, the two countries could work more closely together.

By Julia Barth, ARD-capital Studio

If the German government to talk to members about Japan, you rarely have the opportunity to highlight the particularly good relations between the two countries. "Japan and Germany are true friends," says the foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, as he visited the country last summer. And just when the world political situation, the Interplay with the United States or China, as difficult as it is just the attitude, I'm just on States, such as Germany and Japan, to defend together the common values.

"If we combine our Strengths we can do even more than we have done in the past, I think - then we can be together, maybe something like the engines of an international order, the world has sorely needed," says Maas. "Germany and Japan can be most of the core of an Alliance of multi-laterali.“

the exchange of the technologies of the future

With this idea, the Chancellor will travel to Tokyo, where she meets with Prime Minister Abe to political talks. Especially at the present time, a strong Signal, as it is called in government circles. Not only because of the first reason, Meeting stones for the G20 in June in Osaka under the Japanese presidency can be laid, but also because Angela Merkel is the first European head of government, the travels since the entry into force of the free trade agreement between Japan and the EU last Friday, according to Tokyo.

the EU and Japan form the largest single market in the world.

"Together we create the largest single market in the world. We provide almost one-third of the economic power of the entire earth. And in this respect, we propose a new Chapter in the cooperation", says the CSU politician Thomas Silberhorn, Deputy Chairman of the German-Japanese parliamentarian group in the Bundestag.

Interesting will be the twelve-member business delegation, Merkel to Tokyo accompanied. Through the Elimination of customs duties, cooperation with a view to future technologies much easier. This cooperation will Continue, the Federal government, for example, on the subject of artificial intelligence, the Autonomous, the digitization of a total of deepen - and can learn a lot from Japan, is the silver horn is convinced. "The Japan research there's a lot more, in robotics, for example. In this respect, we can learn to have as much openness for new technologies," he says.

Roth warns of coal-start

according to Claudia Roth, the holds for the Greens, the contact between the Germans and the Japanese members of Parliament, must not omit the Chancellor on your journey, especially a theme. The Climate Protection. Especially in the G20 context, it is important that "this industry is not to advertise the Nations, that you ignored the climate crisis, such as Trump or as Bolsonaro from Brazil, but says: We need to be at the forefront as industrial Nations," said the Green politician.

The climate has set Japan as a priority of its G20 presidency. Therefore, Claudia Roth, should Merkel's response is also critical that Japan plans in the coal, while countries such as Germany grappled with, finally, the Coal phase-out.

"If there is any one country in the world, the new environment may bring technologies that can keep up the pace of Renewables in the energy transition, then it is Japan," she says. "Then please to get in against all the scientific evidence in the coal technology."

Politically less significant, but a sign of special appreciation for two matches on Tuesday are expected for the Chancellor. Then she meets the Japanese Emperor Akihito, to resign at the end of April, and the crown Prince Naruhito, and his father on 1. May, on the throne.

multi-lateral friends: Merkel travels to Japan
Julia Barth, ARD Berlin
03.02.2019 16:54 PM

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