Merz concludes Asia trip with focus on European security

Friedrich Merz ended his five-day trip to Asia on Friday after visiting Singapore, Japan and South Korea. During the tour, Asian capitals questioned the chancellor on security and trade cooperation.

Merz visited the Joint Security Area in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, where North and South Korean troops stand face-to-face. He said he was grateful that Germany had not experienced such a situation for 36 years.

Shortly before Merz arrived at the zone, North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. North Korea has sent soldiers to the Russian front in Ukraine for two years and received combat experience and technology transfers in return.

North Korean state television showed leader Kim Jong Un with new military drones, including a potential stealth drone. Japan and other regional countries cannot ignore these security issues.

China is becoming increasingly dominant in trade and is making territorial claims in the South China Sea while pressuring critics such as Japan. Russia is forging close military ties with Beijing.

Merz’s foreign policy follows the view that light and middleweight countries must unite so they are not consumed by America, China and Russia. Better trade relations with Singapore, Japan and South Korea are valuable for Germany’s export economy as the United States builds tariff barriers and China uses dumping prices.