EU and Japan agree to work together to promote free trade and economic security
IndependentJUL 20
EU-Japan Launch Competitiveness Alliance at Tokyo Summit
Above: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru in Tokyo, Japan on July 23, 2025. Image copyright: David Mareuil/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Europe narrative
The EU and Japan must deepen their partnership now more than ever. Shared democratic values create natural alliance as Japan faces the likes of China and North Korea daily. As the world becomes evermore unpredictable, the two hold a unique opportunity as economic and political giants to consolidate their commitment to a prosperous and rules-based international order.
Pro-China narrative
The EU and Japan must ensure that their goodwill toward each other does not come at the expense of relations with Beijing. In uncertain times, there is no need to make an enemy of those with which deep economic ties have been long-established at the whim of Washington. The world is at an inflection point, and both nations must soon make an important choice.