Germany to seek closer economic ties with Japan amid supply

17/3/2023 18:48

        German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will touch down in Japan on Saturday with six of his ministers seeking closer economic ties, as he considers reducing German dependence on Chinese raw materials amid global supply chain tensions.
        
        Scholz and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are planning a "government consultation" involving multiple cabinet members from both countries to discuss ways to secure economic security.
        
        Given Japan's passing of a bill on economic security, Berlin hopes to learn its raw material strategy and take Tokyo's cue on how to cut dependency on imports, a German government official said of the visit.
        
        In a move primarily focused at China, Japan's parliament passed an economic security bill last year aimed at guarding technology and reinforcing critical supply chains.