Merz's Japan visit puts fighter jets and supply chains on agenda
Thorsten Frei favors examining German participation in GCAP, while pointing to Japan's efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese raw materials.
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Merz in Japan: Bundeswehr, Kampfjets und neue Allianzen
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:00German military medics participate in Keen Sword, preparing for possible regional crises in Japan.
- 1:06Merz meets Japan's prime minister and emphasizes reliable supply chains at a Tokyo business summit.
- 3:26Frei supports examining German participation in GCAP but announces no decision to join.
- 4:32Frei presents Japan's supplier diversification as a lesson for reducing Germany's dependence on Chinese critical raw materials.
- 6:04Frei calls for a joint presidential candidate-selection process after Söder proposes Ilse Aigner.
- 7:56Asked about Ines Claus, Frei avoids endorsing a candidate and points to several suitable personalities.
Germany's search for closer partners in Asia reaches from military medical training to a possible role in a new fighter jet program. During Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Japan, defense cooperation and more reliable supply chains share the agenda.
Germany's public broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, through its ZDFheute Nachrichten channel, follows the visit in "Merz in Japan: Bundeswehr, Kampfjets und neue Allianzen" ("Merz in Japan: The Bundeswehr, fighter jets and new alliances").
The report opens with German military medical personnel taking part in the Keen Sword exercise. The broadcaster describes the training as preparation for regional crises, including a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan. Military medical commander Ralf Hoffmann gives a positive assessment of cooperation with Japanese forces despite initial barriers.
In Tokyo, Merz meets Japan's prime minister and addresses the German-Japanese Business Summit, emphasizing both countries' need for dependable supply chains. Street interviews add a civilian perspective: one passerby, Goya Yumiko, invokes Germany's and Japan's wartime losses when describing the pain of war.
The studio interview then turns the diplomatic aims into specific policy questions. Host Dunja Hayali asks Thorsten Frei, leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, whether Germany could join GCAP, the fighter aircraft program involving Japan, Britain and Italy. Frei supports examining participation and describes the signals so far positively. He does not announce a decision to join.
On critical raw materials, Frei argues that Germany can learn from Japan's approach to diversifying suppliers and reducing dependence on China. His broader case is for deeper economic and security cooperation with countries sharing Germany's values.
The final portion returns to domestic politics. Asked about Markus Söder's proposal of Ilse Aigner for Germany's next federal president, Frei calls for an orderly, joint selection process. He also declines to commit to Ines Claus as a possible CDU candidate, pointing to several suitable figures and saying the January 30 election leaves time for discussion.
Germany’s chancellor since May 2025 and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›A German CDU politician and lawyer who headed Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Federal Chancellery from May 2025 to July 2026.
More on Wikipedia ›Bavaria’s minister-president since 2018 and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) since 2019.
More on Wikipedia ›A German politician belonging to Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU).
More on Wikipedia ›A member of Hesse’s state parliament since 2018 and leader of its CDU parliamentary group since 2020. She has also served on the CDU’s presidium since 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
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- Video published
- October 29, 2026
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The numbers
The report drew about 140,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Germany's most watched new news videos.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which Japanese city hosts the business summit addressed by Merz in this report?
The report shows Merz addressing the German-Japanese Business Summit in Tokyo.