Overview

• In Tokyo, Wadephul met Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, calling Japan Germany’s “Premiumpartner” and setting autumn consultations on defense, cyber cooperation and industrial links.
• At the Yokosuka naval base, he cautioned that any escalation in the Taiwan Strait would have severe consequences for global security and trade, urging protection of sea lanes and resilient supply chains.
• He criticized what he called China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas.
• He accused Beijing of enabling Russia’s war through dual‑use exports and energy purchases, pressed for greater pressure on Moscow, and backed firm security guarantees for Ukraine.
• China’s Foreign Ministry rejected his statements, with spokeswoman Mao Ning saying he was stoking confrontation; Wadephul next travels to Indonesia for further talks.