Japan and Germany have entered into a military pact to enhance the exchange of supplies and logistical support, aiming to bolster their defense ties in response to China’s escalating maritime aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Kyodo News Agency of Japan reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and German Ambassador to Japan, Clemens von Goetze, signed the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement in Tokyo. This agreement streamlines the process of sharing essentials like food, fuel, and ammunition between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the German military.
Kamikawa expressed to Goetze that the new treaty would empower Japan and Germany to “proactively contribute to peace and security in the international community” together.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official mentioned that the bilateral agreement would allow the use of each other’s facilities during joint exercises, subject to the approval of the Japanese parliament, whereas Germany would not require any domestic procedures.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the governments started negotiating the agreement in September of the previous year and reached a principle agreement last month.
Tokyo and Berlin have intensified their security cooperation, including joint exercises, in recent years, acknowledging that the security of Asia and Europe is intertwined amid China’s growing military influence and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
For Japan, Germany becomes the seventh partner in the “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement,” joining the ranks of the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, and India.
