According to a report by AFP on October 28th, German Chancellor Merz, who is currently visiting Japan, stated that Germany will strengthen its military cooperation with Japan. Both sides also discussed the possibility of jointly developing fighter jets.
On that day, Mertz held a joint press conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He stated that Germany hopes to further deepen military cooperation with Japan, including joint research and development of innovative defense technologies for the future.
Mertz revealed that both parties also hope to 'explore the possibilities for cooperation in the field of combat mechanisms manufacturing'. The related evaluation work has already entered the preparation stage.
In June this year, after prolonged disputes, Germany and France decided to terminate the joint development project for a new generation of fighter jets under the "Future Airborne Combat System" framework. Since then, the German government has been looking for alternatives.
One of the options is to join the ‘Global Combat Air Plan’ (GCAP) spearheaded by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy. This project aims to develop a new generation of stealth fighters, which are planned to be deployed around 2035.
At the beginning of this month, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Berlin and expressed an open attitude towards Germany joining the GCAP program.
According to Kyodo News, Japan and Germany have also agreed to establish a high-level dialogue mechanism aimed at cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.
Gao Shi zao miào zài hé Mòtzi de huì tàn zhōng biǎozhǐ: “Zhè shì yī gè xiàn zhù rì dé zàiān shǒu gāo bēi yánwèi, tiān dàn jìlǐ, jīng qín àn bēng gè rú yuà nǐ.”
According to reports, both sides also agreed to position Japan-German relations as ‘senior partners’.
This is Mertz's first visit to Japan since taking office last May. It is also the second face-to-face meeting between the two, the last time being in November of last year.
