politics

Germany stresses increasing defense role in Indo-Pacific

40 Comments
By HARUKA NUGA and MARI YAMAGUCHI

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40 Comments
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German are at the mercy of Russia

-13 ( +6 / -19 )

Kishi San, your country has some social and economic problems that you should address first instead of being the geopolitical servant of the US..

Serve your people first, don't betray them !!.

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

Completely deluded! They did well with cheap Russian energy, looting southern Europe and using eastern Europe for a platform for cheap labor but that's over now. Germany is utterly irrelevant in this part of the world and increasing irrelevant period. He should concentrate on keeping present day Germany in one piece rather than strut around Japan talking about the Asia Pacific region.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

I'm sure wants to sell weapons to Japan.

All about the money !!

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

Countries ranked by GDP:

1 United States$19.485 trillion

2 China$12.238 trillion

3 Japan$4.872 trillion

4 Germany$3.693 trillion

No, Germany, Japan and U.S. security/economic/political ties are not irrelevant. There is one other country on that list who is, shall we say, not playing by the same rules.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

All about the money !!

No, it's all about the shifting geopolitical and defense security landscape. The reckless and oppressive actions of Putin, Xi, Kim etc. are drawing the West and its Asian democratic partners closer together, making them stronger and more unified than ever.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

China is Germany’s biggest trading partner. In fact, Volkswagen sells more than half of its cars in the communist dictatorship. Germany may be “committed to freedom and democracy”, but it’s also committed to doing business with China at all costs.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

"Germany stresses increasing defense role in Indo-Pacific"

What possible DEFENSE role could Germany have in the Indo-Pacific? And WHOSE 'INTERNATIONAL' RULES-BASED ORDER that favors ONLY Western hegemony and ITS psychopathic parasitic ELITES? The only 'threats' suggested here are Russia's 'police action' (see: U.S. and Korean War) in Ukraine which is just another European inter-tribal conflict, and the 'RISE' of China into economic equality with the West whose only 'threat' is to Western GREED. On that score, perhaps the Western ELITES have legitimate concern facing the resurgence of a 3000 year old civilization that already had existed for a millennium while the West were largely still living in mud huts and had yet to discover personal hygiene and, after much internal turmoil, reorganized itself, is now blowing the doors off of the oppressive and violently aggressive West economically. Yet the absolute corruption and dishonesty of the word 'DEFENSE' for what is clearly military OFFENSE is unnoted by minds who have forgotten that until the recognition of the power of propaganda in WWII, the U.S. 'Department of Defense' was called the U.S. Department of WAR, but such honesty is far behind us. The euphemistic headline here would better read ""Germany stresses increasing WAR role in Indo-Pacific".

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

What possible DEFENSE role could Germany have in the Indo-Pacific?

The same one it played in Europe, by becoming utterly reliant on Putin for energy.

So going by that, I supposed Germany is going to be utterly reliant on Xi for trade. With VW alone relying on 40% of total sales to China, you can bet your grandma's rocking chair Germany will be totally subservient to China and China only.

Japan will find out soon enough how useful the 'cooperation' of Germany is.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Germany is looking at the big picture. If Russia and China is not dealt with today, tomorrow selling cars won't be important. Defending your country will be. This may be the start of WWIII.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

William BjornsonToday  08:03 am JST

"Germany stresses increasing defense role in Indo-Pacific"

*“ What possible DEFENSE role could Germany have in the Indo-Pacific? And WHOSE 'INTERNATIONAL' RULES-BASED ORDER that favors ONLY Western hegemony and ITS psychopathic parasitic ELITES? The only 'threats' suggested here are Russia's 'police action' (see: U.S. and Korean War) in Ukraine which is just another European inter-tribal conflict, and the 'RISE' of China into economic equality with the West whose only 'threat' is to Western GREED. On that score, perhaps the Western ELITES have legitimate concern facing the resurgence of a 3000 year old civilization that already had existed for a millennium while the West were largely still living in mud huts and had yet to discover personal hygiene and, after much internal turmoil, reorganized itself, is now blowing the doors off of the oppressive and violently aggressive West economically. Yet the absolute corruption and dishonesty of the word 'DEFENSE' for what is clearly military OFFENSE is unnoted by minds who have forgotten that until the recognition of the power of propaganda in WWII, the U.S. 'Department of Defense' was called the U.S. Department of WAR, but such honesty is far behind us. The euphemistic headline here would better read ""Germany stresses increasing WAR role in Indo-Pacific". “*

..

You and your speeches… Calm down, buddy… Germany and Japan are FRIENDS; this is the latest example of the free world standing up against the “bad guys”; geez your comments on these political issues make me wanna ask: are you on our side or not (?)

3 ( +9 / -6 )

As long as it do not bother an American,they do not care about others fear of China or Russia

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Chinas rise is a security concern? German is in the South China Sea? I’m confused.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

And WHOSE 'INTERNATIONAL' RULES-BASED ORDER that favors ONLY Western hegemony

ROTFL, a hegemonic order that China and Russia happily participated in AND was defending at Davos? Xi going so far as to say 'pluueeese oh pluueease save globalisation'.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/chinas-xi-jinping-defends-globalization-from-the-davos-stage/

LOL...an order that delivered energy to bare countries, resources to resourceless countries, employment to countries with excess labour, free of friction or coercion.

AND the reason why the western world is starting to say it no longer work is because China and evidently Russia is using their new found engagement and trade power to coerce, and impose their political will on others.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

rcch,

your comments on these political issues make me wanna ask: are you on our side or not (?)

The answer alas is no he is not.

German and Japanese Co-operation is another strand in the dense weave of alliances and support developing between democracies across the world in response to mounting aggression from the likes of poo tin, Pooh bear and fat boy, for the defence of our freedom and way of life.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

So going by that, I supposed Germany is going to be utterly reliant on Xi for trade. With VW alone relying on 40% of total sales to China, you can bet your grandma's rocking chair Germany will be totally subservient to China and China only.

What you do not realize are two things. Number one VW Group Shanghai is a minority partner in a joint venture with SIAC Motors. VW does not operate independently in China and does not have full control of the joint venture.

The second point is that Chinese financial regulations do not allow VW Group to repatriate to Germany any profits they may earn in China. Any profits earned by the joint venture are required to remain in China. The same is true for GM, Ford, Toyota and pretty much all the other western auto makers that operate in China. Losing those operations due to geostrategic/geopolitical reasons would not doom VW. They have plants all over the world.

All those companies got into the Chinese market hoping someday they would be allowed to operate in China the same way they operate in other nations. No one was willing to risk not getting established in China allowing their competitors to get market share all in the anticipation that maybe, someday, they could operate independently and repatriate profits to the home office. Now we know that will probably never happen, at least not as long as Xi is in power.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Two governments with record high disapproval ratings at home preparing to wage war for democracy abroad. Ordinary people will continue to pay the price for this ideological crusade. It will not be money well spent.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Good to see. There's a lot of these strategic Asia-Europe country alliances happening...

You be with us on Taiwan's side, we'll be with you to help Ukraine.

Funny seeing these 2. And how time changes things. Back in Ww2 these are the West's greatest enemies. This is 2/3 of the axis of evil here.

Very glad to be on the same side as them now.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Why do humans not appeciate this beautiful world we live in and are inventing more powerful nuclear weapons to bring this beautiful world to an end? Why do humans not create more beautiful art and music and architecture to make this world more beautiful to enjoy living in it?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Why do humans not appreciate this beautiful world we live in and are inventing more powerful nuclear weapons to bring this beautiful world to an end? Why do humans not create more beautiful art and music and architecture to make this world more beautiful to enjoy living in it?

Sadly individuals get themselves into power and want to stay in power for life as it allows them to hoard massive amounts of money for personal wealth, gives power over other rich and powerful people that think like they do, (although sometimes they fight over the same asset) and basically they make themselves kings until deposed and killed or imprisoned, or until they die of natural causes leaving a power struggle behind in their wake.

Democracy has flaws and is by no means perfect, but when working normally allows for the peaceful transfer of power between opponents without bloodshed and upheaval for the people.

The world order has allowed nations to prosper, and allowed China to grow to be the second biggest economy in the world thanks to continued foreign investments. Altering that peaceful world order as China and Russia want to do will have a negative effect on all including them. They just do not yet realise it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

both are talking about some "issues" related to China and Russia both both doing nothing about serving to wn countries interests first.in other words german economy is in serious trouble and japanese economy not in its best shapeas well but for some "unknown" reasons their priorities are to talk about US interests and acr in tehri favour.

germans have to understand their sport on the world map and real position as they have cutted themselves from cheap sources of russian energies,imposed meaningless antirussian sanctions facing cold winter around the corner.with plenty of undocumented immigrants,high crime rate.times when they could grow thanks to cheap sources from eastern Europe as well over.so dear Frank-Walter-you have better to not travel to Japan for nothing but take proper care about hot issues at home first.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Stop doing business with China

China's real weapon is the Silent Invasion.

Look at Tibet, Uygur Republic. Stop feeding that monster!

0 ( +6 / -6 )

they have cutted themselves from cheap sources of russian energies,imposed meaningless antirussian sanctions

All know well sanctions are in place to "encourage" Russia to stop its invasion of a peaceful European nation. Russia has acted criminally and continues to do so. Is it normal to do business with criminals in normal society? No, it is unacceptable. Normally it is other criminals that do business with criminals. Like China doing more business with Russia.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Peter14

you have skipped period of say 2014-feb22nd 2022 as again repeating same narratives about consequences but never talk about reasons.vicious circle?highly likely so.

because if not you have to admit that there were reasons for all of this and all could be avoided but while west have continued in their approach towards Russia and tested their patience all went out of their hands,as they have never ever started to think about consequences for their economies.now they are facing reality.

there is one way out of it-to admit that UA problem wont be solved by war but by peace negotiations but for this west need to change its stance of "leader" and "winner" as in fact there are no winners as all of us are loosing a lot.start to treat guys at other side of table as equal,discuss with them as with equal partners,listen to their arguments and together look for peaceful solution.did you ever heard about Minsk agreements?

i am pretty sure both guys on photo knows all of this very well...but they are all the talk but no actions.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Germany stresses increasing defense role in Indo-Pacific:

Seemingly, China's rise is forcing Germany to face with security challenges far away from home, its president claims.

After Merkel, Berlin is taking a complete U-turn to join US allies to contain China.

Poor judgement..

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Seems the West just needed a modern day version of Stalin to appear to make them regroup and rethink about what core values are worth fighting for. Standing up to tyranny is about as simple as it gets. We won’t be the generation that drops the ball, the one that our grandparents risked everything to fight and die for. Germany on board speaks volumes.

The anti-west cynics can slither away, back into the dark cave of bitter resentment where they blindly choose to live. In a way, you do is all a great service of reminding us who we are

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@Desert

You are being very ignorant of business practices that's widely known, even for small fries with turn over less than $100k.

VW, like everyone else has a remit system to transfer all the profits back to Germany. Because it has to pay for manufactured parts, IP, marketing etc. 2ndly, VW also get economy of scale with that extra sales in China, something other makers also pursue, eg Nissan Renault etc.

VW, German businesses like Bosch are utterly dependent on China. This has not only been proven, it has also been leveraged by China.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

@rcch

What possible DEFENSE role could Germany have in the Indo-Pacific?

Sell weapons to Japan?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

AxelToday  07:04 am JST

Completely deluded! They did well with cheap Russian energy, looting southern Europe and using eastern Europe for a platform for cheap labor but that's over now. Germany is utterly irrelevant in this part of the world and increasing irrelevant period. He should concentrate on keeping present day Germany in one piece rather than strut around Japan talking about the Asia Pacific region.

Then I guess you must live in a parallel dimension.

Germany despite being a small country by territory and having near a half of the population of Japan has the 4th largest economy in the world,the 1st in Europe and it’s the locomotive of the EU economy.

It also has one of the top 10 ranked armies in the world.

People should do their research well before posting.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

you have skipped period of say 2014-feb22nd 2022

Not at all. Russia has acted criminally since it started the separatist war and occupied Crimea.

because if not you have to admit that there were reasons for all of this and all could be avoided but while west have continued in their approach towards Russia and tested their patience all went out of their hands,as they have never ever started to think about consequences for their economies.now they are facing reality.

It is nonsensical to blame the West for Russia's aggression and criminal acts against Ukraine seeking closer ties to the EU and NATO. They have every right to self determination. Russia has no right to interfere.

there is one way out of it-to admit that UA problem wont be solved by war but by peace negotiations

How do you negotiate with a murderer? You lock them away normally, or shoot them if they fail to surrender. When Putin is held accountable by Russia, and pulls out of Ukraine, then peace negotiations would be possible and fruitful.

i am pretty sure both guys on photo knows all of this very well...but they are all the talk but no actions.

Neither guy in the picture is involved in the war in Ukraine. What actions should they be taking? Go to war against Russia?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

And yet Scholz is going on a begging tour in China next week?!!!

I wonder how the ordinary Germans feel, hearing that it was the UK (at the behest of master Sam) who bombed their lifeline, the gas pipeline. Stupid Truss couldn't have admitted it any clearer on her phone text to Blinky.

By the way, where in the Indian and Pacific Oceans is Germany? Mein Gott.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

All these countries that were under European domination should extract justice from them ,while they are in panic mode,lots of these European let themselves, become vassal of the US,when all the power ,is in Washington now,when the American public want no part of their misery

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

VW, like everyone else has a remit system to transfer all the profits back to Germany. Because it has to pay for manufactured parts, IP, marketing etc. 2ndly, VW also get economy 

VW doesn't import components from Germany to China for its cars. SIAC and the Chinese government force VW to make everything in China for Chinese market cars. What happens instead is that you find an awful lot of VW / Audi parts sold outside China are manufactured now in China.

As for repatriating their profits, there are systemic constraints in Chinese law that make this all but impossible for most big firms. No profits from a given year can be repatriated until all prior year losses are paid up. After that the firm must pay a 25% tax on their stated profit. Then the firm must withhold an additional 10% of its profit for a mandatory surplus fund. Even after satisfying these requirements a firm may not repatriate any profits until it has built up a separate reserve fund equal to 50% of the firms registered capital. As a practical matter even the largest firms are seldom able to satisfy these several layers of legal requirements to repatriate profits from their Chinese subsidiaries.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pukey, NATO is a hoax,when the US got all the firepower that Russian fear

The combined armies of Spain, Italy, France and UK dwarf that of Russia. The French and British navies alone could easily defeat the Russian Navy. More hulls, more deadweight tonnage, more nuclear subs, a three to one advantage in aircraft carriers and Russia has no way to conduct amphibious operations across oceans the way the British and French can. Don't forget Italy has two smaller carriers in the Med and Spain also has a small carrier. NATO air forces even without the US greatly outclass the Russian Air Force. Better equipment and vastly better training. The superiority of modern western tanks over those of Russia is unquestioned.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Listen Germany, focus on issues in Europe not Asia. Stay in your place along with your neighbors, just face the facts that Europe has been losing global political influence.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Interesting note from another venue for 'balance':

"Germany pushes back against the US by talking to China

Olaf Scholz’s upcoming visit to China is a message that Washington can’t dictate Berlin’s foreign policy"

https://www.rt.com/news/565744-scholz-germany-us-china/

A little bit of American arm-twisting, perhaps, to send a few symbolic jets?

"rechNov. 2 08:27 am JST

*You*** and your speeches… Calm down, buddy… Germany and Japan are **FRIENDS; this is the latest example of the free world standing up against the “bad guys”; geez your comments on these political issues make me wanna ask: are you on our side or not (?)"

I am on the side of HUMANITY and hate above all else the cadres of psychopathic parasites that sit atop the hierarchical power structures of ALL Human polities and whose blind, thoughtless GREED for everything causes them to create nothing but misery and death for their, now, 'free range' slaves, the People, formerly serfs, peons, peasants, chattel, et cetera. 'Governments' are their herd management TOOLS and politicians their puppets who bamboozle the less intellectually gifted and create the delusion of 'OUR side' and 'THEIR side' with fear and hatred so as to send crazed, armed, programmed-to-kill mobs against each other to steal from the parasitic cadre next door. WAR is a game of ELITES but it is Humanity which suffers their insanity. If you are on THEIR side, then I am most certainly NOT on YOUR side.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

*William BjornsonToday  02:50 am JST “ I am on the side of HUMANITY and hate above all else the cadres of psychopathic parasites that sit atop the hierarchical power structures of ALL Human polities and whose blind, thoughtless GREED for everything causes them to create nothing but misery and death for their, now, 'free range' slaves, the People, formerly serfs, peons, peasants, chattel, et cetera. 'Governments' are their herd management TOOLS and politicians their puppets who bamboozle the less intellectually gifted and create the delusion of 'OUR side' and 'THEIR side' with fear and hatred so as to send crazed, armed, programmed-to-kill mobs against each other to steal from the parasitic cadre next door. WAR is a game of ELITES but it is Humanity which suffers their insanity. If you are on THEIR side, then I am most certainly NOT on YOUR side. “*

“ Humanity “? ( Interesting… )

So…

start worrying about the lack of freedom and human rights abuses in China, NK, Venezuela, Iran (and other Middle Eastern countries), these (disgusting) war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine, NK’s countless provocations and the fact that they’re all anti-West; they just wanna see the West burn (!); this ain’t rocket science; pick a SIDE (!) (!) (!)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

VW doesn't import components from Germany to China for its cars. SIAC and the Chinese government force VW to make everything in China for Chinese market cars

...fake news ^. They import 80% of the parts. Even a simple part like a MAF (mass airflow sensor) is imported 'whole'. That's why you get these fake MAF on alibaba that doesn't work like a real Bosch MAF....there is no engine plant outside of Germany....fuel pumps are imported whole from Mahle, Bosch etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

For all of you who claim Germany has no business in Asia, you are wrong. A lot of German trade moves through the Indian Ocean, South China sea and waters around Japan, Korea and China. Germany is very much interested in protecting that trade and protecting the ships that carry their goods, and that bring goods to Germany from that region. There was no threat to that trade in years past but China's assertions of sovereignty over the South China Sea and their base building in Djibouti and Cambodia, naval capable (naval base likely) ports in Gwadar and Sri Lanka along with all the man made island bases in the South China Sea combined with China's increasly aggressive assertions of sovereignty over international waters threatens German trade and the German economy directly. So yes the Germans have good reasons to develop the ability to operate their military in the region.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

 That's why you get these fake MAF on alibaba that doesn't work like a real Bosch MAF...

I buy genuine VW/Audi parts directly from dealers for my older Audis and while the box says Bosch and has an Audi part number, it also says Made in China. Probably because they still make that old design in China as the VW Santana. Same thing with factory Delphi parts for my two Harleys. I buy them from the in person over the counter at the dealer and that is what I get, because Delphi set up shop in China to make parts for GM cars there. You have GM cars sold in the US with complete engines and gearboxes from China.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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