We are delighted to announce that Paul Linnarz has returned as Head of our Country Programme Japan and the Regional Economic Programme Asia (SOPAS) at the Japan office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Previously he served as Head of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA for six years.
We warmly welcome Paul Linnarz back to our team in Japan and extend heartfelt thanks to Thomas Yoshimura for his exceptional leadership as our interim director over the past three months.
In 2024, the world is at an inflection point, the most important since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. There is widespread concern about the increasingly fragmented state of the international system, and the capacity of leading governments to address challenges that have become increasingly complex. The value of breaking down silos and engaging perspectives from multiple areas of expertise is now greater than ever. To address this need, FSVC’s 2024 international symposium in Istanbul, Turkey, funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), brought together 29 leading experts and practitioners in international finance and foreign policy from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America to exchange ideas on pressing current affairs. The symposium encouraged reflection on what has worked and what has gone wrong in recent decision-making, with the goal of identifying informed, proactive policy responses to current and future stresses. The overarching topics of discussion were how great power rivalries are impacting the Global South, the implications of these developments for the global financial system, and how countries in the Global South can navigate this competition to their benefit.
More information and details can be found in the Strategic Memorandum as well as the Rapporteur’s Report.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) had explicitly warned the Taiwanese voters against Lai Chin-te and depicted him as a risk to their interests with immediate intention of declaring independence. The candidate of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, however, is elected to take office and will be inaugurated in May. The persistent difference in perspectives raises concerns about potential tensions in cross-strait relations and the status quo.
This paper aims to analyze the economic impact of the Taiwan Strait tensions on ASEAN economies under two scenarios of escalation vis-à-vis a maintenance of the status quo: China quarantining Taiwan or China invading Taiwan.
On February 20, the Japan Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Nakasone Peace Institute (NPI) jointly organized a seminar on “Economic Security: A German Perspective”. The seminar was held following the MoU signed last December between NPI and KAS to strengthen cooperation in the field of economic security and was attended by Japanese Diet members and government and ministry officials.
Following the introduction and opening remarks by Rabea Brauer, Country Representative, KAS Japan Office, Hon. Taro Aso, Chairman of NPI, provided a keynote speech. Hon. Aso stated that as major powers, Germany and Japan must take on the responsibility of promoting coordination to ensure the stability and prosperity of the world as a whole. In the face of the international political and economic reality that we cannot proceed with a free economy alone, he stated that how the two countries coordinate with each other in terms of economic security is of great importance to the international community overall. He then recognized that from the basic standpoint of “derisking” in terms of economic security, coordination, cooperation, and partnership among allies and like-minded countries, including the United States, are extremely important and must not be allowed to be disrupted.
Following the keynote speech, H.E. Dr. Clemens von Goetze, German Ambassador to Japan, outlined the key areas of economic security in Germany in his lecture entitled “Economic Security: A German Perspective.” He pointed out the significance that Germany and Japan share many similarities in their economic structures and challenges and are well suited to cooperate in areas such as technological innovation, supply chain resilience, energy transition, cyber security, and trade. Through platforms such as regular intergovernmental consultations both countries can not only improve their economic security, but also promote sustainable growth and address global challenges.
The Q&A session with H.E. Dr. von Goetze was moderated by Mr. Shiraishi Shigeaki, Director of the Research Center for Economic Security at NPI, discussing the status of policy achievements toward derisking in Germany, the status of Japan’s policy toward China from the German ambassador’s perspective, differences in perceptions among EU member states concerning economic security, and the German position on a regulation known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) recently formulated by the EU.
From February 7 to 9, the Japan Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation had the honor of welcoming a delegation of members of the German Bundestag, led by Dr. Johann Wadephul, Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic/ Social Union (CDU/CSU) parliamentary group, to Japan and provided them an opportunity to exchange views with Japanese members of parliament and experts.
The delegation was invited to the general assembly of the Japan-Germany Parliamentary Friendship League held on February 7 at the Diet Members’ Office Building, where they exchanged views with Japanese Diet members from the ruling and opposition parties, including Hon. Toshiaki Endo, Chairperson of the Friendship League. More than 50 Japanese parliamentarians attended the assembly and actively exchanged opinions on a wide range of topics, including not only German-Japanese foreign, security, and defense policy, but also human rights due diligence and policy toward Africa, etc.
During the visit, the delegation members paid also courtesy calls on Hon. Yoko Kamikawa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Hon. Minoru Kihara, Minister of Defense, and confirmed the importance of strengthening Japan-German cooperation in security and defense fields in the face of the unstable international situation, referring to Japan-Germany contribution to the Indo-Pacific region and the ACSA. In an exchange of views with Hon. Shintaro Ito, Minister of the Environment, the theme of the meeting was the international approaches of Japan and Germany as advanced nations in addressing environmental and climate issues.
Meetings were also held with Mr. Kiyoto Tsuji, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Hiroshi Moriyama, Chairperson of the General Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Hon. Kenta Izumi, President of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), to discuss the political situation in Japan and Germany and the future of Japan-Germany cooperation, particularly in the security and defense fields.
We were thrilled to have had Dr Peter Fischer-Bollin, Head of the Division Analysis and Consulting at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, join us for an enriching five-day program spanning Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kyoto.
Together, we explored the nuanced landscape of Economic Security in the Indo-Pacific in times of systemic rivalry, global disruptions, demographic shifts, and energy transformations. Our sincere appreciation goes to Dr. Fischer-Bollin for sharing his valuable insights and expertise. We also extend our gratitude to our numerous partners, experts, and colleagues for their indispensable contributions, making this collaborative initiative possible.
KAS Japan proudly announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nakasone Peace Institute (NPI) and KAS Japan, represented by Hirofumi Nakasone and Rabea Brauer, respectively. The signing was witnessed by the German Ambassador in Japan, Clemens von Goetze, and Dr. Peter Fischer-Bollin, Head of Division Analysis and Consulting at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. The official cooperation in the realm of economic security signifies a significant milestone in our enduring partnership and is a crucial stride towards shaping a more secure and resilient future.
We extend our gratitude for the continuous support and important discussions between NPI and KAS Japan so far. Together, we are committed to fostering impactful collaborations.
Today, we say goodbye to our wonderful interns, Kerri and Nazia. Throughout the past three months, they have contributed significantly to various tasks and each written a research paper set to be published on our website next week.
Kerri, Nazia, thank you for your exceptional work and positive energy! We wish you all the best for your future endeavors and hope that our paths will cross again!
Our Senior Programme Manager for Regional Economic Programme Asia (SOPAS), Cris Perez, was recently asked to present for the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) Southeast Asia-South Asia-Taiwan (SEASAT) Youth Camp on 3 August 2022. The topic was on educational reforms for the future of work. She discussed the megatrends shaping the future of work, the potential skills that would be useful in increasing returns to income and employment in the future, and what must be done to encourage the cultivation of such skills and attitudes, among others.
TAEF is a policy think tank in Taiwan which focuses on Southeast Asian and South Asian affairs and has been a partner with KAS Japan on the Future of Work for the Asian Youth series. You can check out one of our publications with them here.
