Jean de Ruyt is a former Belgian diplomat and served as the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union, NATO and the United Nations, he was also the Director General for Political Affairs in the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2022 marks a fundamental change for Europe. Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine and a resurgence of traditional security dynamics brought more change in the past year than in the past three decades combined; The foundations on which the post-Cold War equilibrium was built were shaken; And as many nations now face profound change, security is at the heart of the challenge.
The European Union and its institutions are not tested when it comes to coping with such pivotal moments in history, but the speed with which major world events are unfolding means that the bloc may not be long enough. One needs to plan strategically. And while the war in Ukraine is, undoubtedly, the most worrisome threat in our immediate environment – for which the EU and its allies mobilized in unprecedented ways – it is not the only systemic challenge looming on the horizon.
Something is moving beyond the borders of Europe.
The Indo-Pacific is an economic powerhouse of primary importance, home to nearly 60 percent of the world’s population, and the region’s growing economic, demographic, and political weight has made it an influential player in international relations, as well as an essential He is also a player. Addressing global challenges.
The European Union formalized its interest in the sector in 2021 EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and as the bloc now seeks to pursue strategic autonomy, maintain and strengthen its political influence, and protect the democratic values on which it was built, it needs to actively engage with the region. needed. It also needs to keep its friends in the Indo-Pacific with a truly compatible agenda, especially from a security perspective – and Japan is one of those allies.
Not only do the EU and Japan have common interests in the Asia-Pacific region – at least when it comes to China – they also share fundamental values: democracy, human rights and a vision of the international system as a mechanism rather than general rules. Brute force in form.
Recently, China’s assertiveness, as well as more frequent provocations by North Korea, has prompted Japan to place a new emphasis on maritime security, and Tokyo is improving its defense capabilities accordingly. The country’s latest National Security Strategy outlines several relevant initiatives aim of Strengthening defense and ensuring the security and openness of the Indo-Pacific by expanding military cooperation and increasing the resilience of its cyber infrastructure.
Japan is keen to engage with like-minded partners on this front and the EU should take note. Japan’s diplomacy is closely aligned with the G7, and it is taking a number of steps to strengthen its ties with NATO as well as deepen its direct ties with Ukraine and its European neighbors.
Japan’s interests also overlap significantly with those of China than those of Europe. Compared to other countries involved in the region, the EU and Japan see China as both a worrying competitor and a major trading partner – whose cooperation will be fundamental in tackling the challenges of our time, especially climate change.
Thus managing relations with China will come down to striking the right balance between cooperation and confrontation, dialogue and rivalry. This will require sustained dialogue and effort on both sides. Or, in the words of a senior diplomat posted to the European Union, “Russia is like a hurricane, China is like climate change.” And he couldn’t have been more correct.
recent seizure The President of the European Council Charles Michel and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz testify precisely to the EU’s intention to keep the diplomatic door open to Beijing. And Japan, so close geographically and economically linked with the Middle Kingdom, faces a similar challenge to the European Union, apart from more direct security concerns.
For this reason, we are seeing a growing appetite from EU institutions for closer cooperation with Japan, which suggests that we are entering a golden age for EU-Japan relations.
To this end, in a span of just a few years, three key agreements were signed: the landmark Economic Partnership Agreement, the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement, and the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure. Also, read through joint declaration Signed during the EU-Japan summit in May 2022, it is possible to understate how broad our common ground is.
This is especially so when it comes to security and defending the values we stand for, and this includes strongly condemning Russia’s ruthless aggression, supporting Ukraine and Taiwan, ensuring the maritime security of the Indo-Pacific Willingness, commitment to release is included. and open cyberspace, and opposition to North Korea’s testing of nuclear missiles. Just last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida toured europe To further closer defense ties and a delegation of the European Parliament visited Tokyo to discuss cyber security.
However, this close relationship with Japan is not limited to trade and security matters only. It also includes two of Europe’s most fundamental long-term priorities – digitization and the green transition.
Through the EU-Japan Green Alliance and the Japan-EU Digital Partnership, the two parties have stepped up their cooperation in these areas. And thanks to this cohesive, common approach, it will be possible to encourage and support the rest of the world to pursue a fairer and faster digitalization and green transition – especially during upcoming meetings of the international community such as COP 28.
All these elements indicate that the coming years could represent a turning point for EU-Japan relations. It is time to embrace a new, unprecedented closeness.