EU and Japan Join Forces to Counter Economic Coercion
The European Union (EU) and Japan have joined forces to tackle economic coercion and unfair trade practices, launching a new strategic partnership at the EU-Japan Summit in Tokyo. The event was attended by top leaders from both sides, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Both Brussels and Tokyo have expressed concern over third parties using economic tools for political leverage. To counter this, joint working groups will be established in the coming months, focusing on trade resilience, technological cooperation, and industrial security.
The new partnership, dubbed the 'competitiveness alliance', aims to strengthen bilateral collaboration across trade, innovation, energy, economic security, and defence. It will also enhance resilience in critical supply chains and foster joint work on advanced technologies. Additionally, it will serve as a platform to reinforce democratic principles and international legal norms.
The EU, pursuing 'open strategic autonomy', seeks to diversify trade partnerships and boost economic sovereignty without resorting to isolationism. This move follows a separate agreement between Tokyo and Washington on automobile tariffs, further solidifying the EU's economic alignment with Japan.
The EU-Japan partnership signals a collective effort to defend free trade and uphold international norms. With joint working groups and a competitiveness alliance, both sides aim to bolster economic resilience, technological cooperation, and strategic coordination. This collaboration underscores the EU's commitment to open strategic autonomy and its alignment with Japan in the face of economic coercion.
