Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul met in Tokyo on 18 August for the inaugural Japan-Germany Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue. The two officials agreed to deepen cooperation on economic security, including measures to strengthen and diversify supply chains, and pledged closer coordination on technology and critical materials. At a joint media appearance, Wadephul warned that China’s "increasingly aggressive" behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas threatens the rules-based international order and has direct implications for European security. He also criticised Beijing for providing dual-use goods and energy purchases that he said underpin Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Both ministers said Japan and Germany would work together to uphold international law, counter economic coercion and support Ukraine. Further talks will continue as part of a regular strategic dialogue framework established by the two governments.