Japan, Germany sign intel-sharing pact to boost defense cooperation

Peter NeilToday  06:53 am JST

Wasn’t there something like this long ago?

Yes there was but this time both nations are on our side.

Wasn’t there something like this long ago?

That was my first thought - as a joke now - too. But oddly, I'm not concerned all that much this time. Germany has some of the strongest privacy laws.

Japan already has similar intel-sharing pacts with the United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Australia, Britain, France, India, Italy and South Korea, according to the ministry.

Isn't Germany part of NATO - Britain, France, Italy and the US too with almost all of the EU countries included.

"Isn't Germany part of NATO - Britain, France, Italy and the US too with almost all of the EU countries included."

Yes it is. This is a separate agreement outside the Nato Framework. It give both countries more options and flexibility.

Wasn’t there something like this long ago?

Don’t trick yourself. Although 76 years have passed, there won’t be any capability of own defense for Japan or Germany anytime soon, no giving back of former territories and all such. They are squeezing the lemons out and then throw it away. Taking your money and patents only, but also that’s going to China and U.S. now, low birth rates, no sufficient vaccines.... I stop here describing the time line and causal chain, otherwise you would probably immediately go into the woods with a rope. As a German in Japan I know what’s going on here and there. We have already died long before I was born, if you understand the paradox.