High-ranking European Union (EU) officials said on Thursday that the bloc is actively seeking a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific, which it termed a “theatre of tensions” due to an increasingly assertive China.
European officials voiced this ambition during a joint news conference in Tokyo after the 28th EU-Japan summit, which was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
President @vonderleyen will participate on Thursday in the 28th EU-Japan Summit in Tokyo.
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) May 10, 2022
Japan is the EU’s closest strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Here is the state of our current relations at a glance ↓
“The Indo-Pacific is a thriving region. It is also a theatre of tensions. Take the situation in the East and South China Sea and the constant threat of the DPRK (North Korea). The European Union wants to take a more active role in the Indo-Pacific. We want to take more responsibility in a region that is so vital to our prosperity,” von der Leyen said.
I welcome the strong stance Japan has taken on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 12, 2022
Like the EU, Japan understands what is at stake here.
Not just Ukraine’s future.
Not just Europe’s future.
But the future of a rules-based world order. pic.twitter.com/WpIpCaoLRj
The representatives said they would continue discussions on ways to maximise the potential of their partnership to deal with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, in areas including energy as well as aid. Both sides also called for the immediate cessation of hostilities. In addition, they also warned of China’s close relationship with Russia and condemned unilateral moves to change the status quo in any region of the world.
We welcome the #EU-#Japan statement underscoring the importance of peace & stability across the Taiwan Strait & encouraging the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. #Taiwan will keep working with both partners across the board. (📸 @EU_Commission)
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) May 12, 2022
▶️https://t.co/wi7gcjnF9T pic.twitter.com/7iAcyfH1FZ
Michel and von der Leyen also said they were aware that regional tensions existed in Asia as well and said the EU needed to take on a bigger role in this regard. “Our cooperation in Ukraine is critical but it is also important in the Indo-Pacific, and we also want to deepen our consultation on a more assertive China. We believe that China must stand up to defend the multilateral system that it has benefited from,” Michel said.
🇪🇺🇯🇵 Not just partners, not just allies - true friends.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 12, 2022
The EU and Japan are showing the power of democracies working together. pic.twitter.com/wzsl5fB9h3
The EU representatives also acknowledged and welcomed Japan’s participation in taking countermeasures against Russia, including sanctions. “We welcome the increasingly strong stance Japan is taking against Russia,” von der Leyen said. Tokyo has joined the European Union and other G7 nations in imposing trade sanctions against Russia. However, while Japan says it agrees with banning Russian oil “in principle” ban Russian oil, Kishida has previously said it would be a “very difficult decision” and that Japan would “take our time to take steps towards a phase-out.”
That being said, only 1.9 billion barrels of oil were exported from Russia to Japan in April, down 33% from the same time last year. Moreover, Russian oil accounts for just 4% of Japanese oil imports. However, Russia is Japan's fifth-biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Japan is heavily reliant on LNG imports after it shut down the majority of its nuclear reactors in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
I’m in Japan for the 🇪🇺🇯🇵 Summit.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 11, 2022
In this unpredictable world, the EU wants to strengthen its partnership with one of its closest allies.
Together, we will work to create more economic opportunities and address the challenges both our regions are confronted with. pic.twitter.com/afzUxN5CNb
Meanwhile, the EU also announced the launch of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership, which will “give political steer and impetus” for the two sides’ “joint work on digital technologies,” as “leadership in this field is essential” to “competitiveness and security.” Von der Leyen added that the Strategic Partnership Agreement will help “diversify and strengthen” supply chains and forms part of the EU’s Global Gateway project, which it hopes will rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The meeting came two days after Beijing warned that while a strong EU-Japan relationship is beneficial, it should stay within its bounds. “I also need to emphasise that the EU-Japan summit is a matter between themselves but they should not speak ill of China, let alone interfere in China’s internal affairs,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during his regular press conference on Tuesday.