Foreign media: On October 28, German Chancellor Merz met with Japanese Prime Minister Kōshō Sanae in Tokyo, urging Japan to join his proposed "like-minded partners" global trade alliance aimed at jointly countering tariff barriers and economic coercion, and coordinating actions to present a unified front.
The initiative echoes Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s call for middle powers to unite in responding to pressures from major states. Concurrently released data indicates that Germany's trade deficit with the Asia-Pacific region is projected to reach a record high of nearly €14.6 billion by 2026. Merz also proposed deepening Germany-Japan cooperation on developing a joint fighter aircraft and enhancing collaboration on critical raw material supply chains, drawing on Japan’s over a decade of experience in diversifying its supply networks following the rare earth dispute of 2010.
China responded on the same day, expressing hope that Germany and the European Union would adopt an "objective and rational" approach to trade issues, emphasizing China’s commitment to maintaining stability in trade and supply chains.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880304449693707/
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