By aligning on security, economic resilience, and global governance, Tokyo and Berlin are positioning themselves as middle-power anchors of a more plural and democratic world order
On 18 August 2025, Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya hosted Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul for the first Japan–Germany Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo. This included a formal meeting where both countries underscored the growing importance of bilateral cooperation as global challenges intensify. Tokyo and Berlin affirmed that the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are increasingly interconnected, agreeing to deepen security dialogue, strengthen cooperation in cyber and economic security, and convene early “2+2” and follow-up ministerial dialogues.
The meeting holds substantive diplomatic value and must be understood as more than a routine diplomatic exercise. It is a development that underscores how middle powers with economic heft and normative weight are choosing to adapt to a crumbling global order. As key G7 democracies and leading economies in their respective regions, Japan and Germany are reaffirming their strategic alignment amid growing global uncertainties.
The meeting holds substantive diplomatic value and must be understood as more than a routine diplomatic exercise. It is a development that underscores how middle powers with economic heft and normative weight are choosing to adapt to a crumbling global order.
In the absence of credible leadership from the traditional stewards of the rules-based system—the United States and, to some extent, the European Union—Japan and Germany are seeking to build connective tissue across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theatres. This is not merely symbolic; it signals an emerging architecture of trans-regional partnerships designed to navigate as well as mitigate the risks posed by both revisionist forces and Western inwardness.
Alongside strategic alignment, the Tokyo-Berlin partnership is set to witness cooperation in enhancing economic security, particularly by strengthening supply chains for critical minerals, a key concern at a time when potential supply disruptions stand to impose significant costs. The two committed to strengthening supply chain resilience, advancing people-to-people and intellectual exchanges through institutions like the Japan-Germany Forum and the Japan-German Centre Berlin, and coordinating closely on regional and global crises, including Ukraine, North Korea, the Middle East, and Africa. Finally, the two agreed to work jointly on reforming and strengthening the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, positioning Japan and Germany as trans-regional partners with shared democratic values and strategic interests. Additionally, Wadephul publicly issued pointed criticism of China’s aggressive actions, particularly in the Taiwan Strait and the South and East China Seas, emphasising the shared interest of Japan and Germany in upholding the rules-based international order.
The geopolitical weight of this dialogue lies in its insistence on the indivisibility of European and Asian security. For Tokyo, boosting ties with Berlin underscores the fact that the Indo-Pacific is not a peripheral concern but a central theatre of global contestation, disruptions in which will have worldwide implications irrespective of geographical proximity. For Berlin, engaging Japan validates Germany’s gradual but perceptible strategic shift from a narrow Euro-Atlantic lens to a broader global posture. This meeting thus positions both countries as bridges between regions, building a corridor of cooperation that stretches from the Baltic to the Pacific. It also serves as a hedge against the uncertainties of US domestic politics, particularly as Washington’s strategic consistency is increasingly in question.
For Tokyo, boosting ties with Berlin underscores the fact that the Indo-Pacific is not a peripheral concern but a central theatre of global contestation, disruptions in which will have worldwide implications irrespective of geographical proximity. For Berlin, engaging Japan validates Germany’s gradual but perceptible strategic shift from a narrow Euro-Atlantic lens to a broader global posture.
The emphasis on economic security, cyber resilience, and supply chain diversification carries important implications. While Germany remains economically exposed to China, Japan has already moved towards reducing its vulnerabilities, building alternative supply chains in partnership with like-minded countries. By foregrounding resilience in critical minerals and advanced technologies, both Berlin and Tokyo are signalling that economic statecraft has become integral to national security. Rather than decoupling, what we are witnessing is a calibrated effort at de-risking and diversification—a process pursued deliberately, and now collectively, by major middle powers seeking to hedge against systemic shocks and geopolitical coercion.
Finally, by pledging to coordinate on UN reform and Security Council strengthening, Tokyo and Berlin are reminding the world of their unfinished ambition: permanent membership and a stronger voice in global governance. While reform may remain elusive, the very act of harmonising positions reinforces their claim to leadership. Taken together, this meeting demonstrates that the future of global stability may well rest on the agency of responsible middle powers that are willing to reimagine partnerships across geographies. In that sense, the Japan–Germany dialogue is not simply bilateral; it is an early template for a more plural, resilient, and democratic world order.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also received a courtesy call from Wadephul later the same day, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to stronger ties and joint action on major global issues, notably Ukraine and the Middle East. The meeting serves as a high-level formalisation of bilateral strategic coordination—covering security, economic resilience, and broader global governance.
In that sense, the Japan–Germany dialogue is not simply bilateral; it is an early template for a more plural, resilient, and democratic world order.
New Delhi should view the Japan–Germany dialogue not as a closed bilateral track, but as an opening to embed itself more deeply in the evolving trans-regional coalitions that middle powers are stitching together in the face of global disorder. Both Tokyo and Berlin are grappling with challenges that Delhi also shares: the weaponisation of interdependence, the risks of revisionist assertiveness, and the erosion of trust in global governance. By positioning itself as the third pillar in this emerging axis, India can amplify its own position while contributing to shaping the rules of a multipolar system.
This meeting represents a clear strategic milestone in Japan–Germany relations. It formalises a growing partnership amidst an increasingly volatile global landscape. As both nations navigate overlapping challenges, from China's regional behaviour to disruptions in global supply chains, the expansion of bilateral ties through structured dialogues and expanded cooperation signals an important shift toward trans-regional democratic coordination.
Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme. She covers the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on Japan’s role in the region. ...
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