Europe in Japan’s grand strategy

Organised by

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• GGP: Global Governance Programme
• EU-Asia Project

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a profound impact on Japan’s national strategy, contributing to a bold series of policies by the Kishida government to increase defense spending, strengthen Japan’s deterrent capabilities, and bolster its relationships with like-minded partners to reinforce a rules-based international order. Accordingly, although the late Shinzo Abe worked to build closer security and economic ties with European countries and the European Union during his tenure, over the past year Japanese policy-makers and strategic thinkers have increasingly come to see the Indo-Pacific and the Trans-Atlantic regions as linked. However, there remain questions about the role that Europe can and should play in Japan’s strategic thinking. 

In this talk, Tobias Harris will discuss how Tokyo views Japan’s role in European security and Europe’s role in Indo-Pacific security; the evolution of Japan’s policies towards Europe over the past decade; and some of the challenges facing Japan-Europe ties as Japan holds the presidency of the G7.