- New LDP Leadership Election Was Set To Be Held on October 4
As a result of the Liberal Democratic Party’s defeat in the recent House of Councillors election, internal pressure mounted to choose a new party president.
A decision on whether to hold a leadership election was scheduled for September 8, based on the declarations of intent from the 47 prefectural party branches and incumbent LDP lawmakers.
However, on the day before, September 7, Prime Minister Ishiba announced his resignation as the party leader.
Consequently, the leadership election was set to be officially announced on September 22, and the election is scheduled to be held on October 4.
As of September 12, the individuals who have officially declared their candidacy for the party leadership race are former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi.
In addition, former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi have each conveyed to former Prime Minister Kishida their desire to run.
Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is also seen as having firmly decided to enter the race.
2. Japan-Australia 2+2 Meeting Confirmed Regional Security and Defense Industry Cooperation
On September 5, the Japanese and Australian governments held a Foreign and Defense Ministers’ Meeting (“2+2”) in Tokyo and issued a joint statement that included strengthening security cooperation, with the aim of countering China’s increasingly assertive moves in the Indo-Pacific region.
At the joint press conference, Foreign Minister Iwaya stated, “Both countries have the will and capability to play a role in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, “We want to continue acting together for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.”
The meeting was also attended by Defense Minister Nakatani and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles.
In the joint statement, the two countries positioned each other as “core pillars of like-minded partnerships” and clearly stated their commitment to “strengthening joint deterrence.”
With China’s growing military coercion in mind, the statement also expressed strong opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or intimidation” in the East and South China Seas.
Regarding the Australian government’s August decision to introduce a new class of ships based on the improved “Mogami-class” escort vessel of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, the statement evaluated it as “a significant milestone in the largest-ever defense industry cooperation.”
In addition, the Japanese and Australian governments signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the evacuation of their nationals in the event of emergencies such as conflicts arising in third countries.
3. Japan And Korea To Revitalize The Bilateral And Trilateral Security Cooperation
On September 8, Defense Minister Nakatani visited Seoul of Korea and met with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik at the Ministry of National Defense.
The two agreed to promote Japan–South Korea and Japan–U.S.–South Korea security cooperation, and issued a joint press document that specified the revitalization of reciprocal defense minister visits and the goal of achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
It was the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese defense minister in ten years, since October 2015.
The joint press document stated that the two “agreed on the need to develop the defense cooperation relationship in a future-oriented manner,” and also referred to their agreement to enhance regular consultations and personnel exchanges between defense authorities.
The two ministers confirmed the importance of continuing trilateral Japan–U.S.–South Korea cooperation and the need to jointly respond to the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. They also agreed to explore cooperation in advanced science and technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and space.
- EIT InnoEnergy To Invest in Japanese Decarbonization Startups Under Japan-EU “Competitive Alliance”
Nikkei reported that one of Europe’s largest funds supporting decarbonization startups is considering expanding into Japan.
This would mark the first project under the “Competitiveness Alliance,” a partnership agreed upon by the Japanese government and the European Union (EU) in July.
At a time when the Trump administration in the U.S. is showing a passive stance toward decarbonization, Japan and the EU aim to take the lead in addressing global challenges through closer cooperation.
EIT InnoEnergy, established in 2010 with EU support, is considering investments in Japan.
The organization, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a quasi-public body based on the European Commission’s industrial policy.
It invests in early-stage startups in the green sector that contribute to realizing a decarbonized society.
According to the company, the firms it has invested in to date have raised more than €34 billion (approximately ¥5.8 trillion).
It has also fostered four “unicorns,” companies valued at over $1 billion.
EU Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné, in charge of industrial strategy, will visit Japan later this month to meet with Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yoji Muto.
In conjunction with this, InnoEnergy, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and the Green Transformation (GX) Promotion Agency will sign a memorandum of cooperation.
Backed by both Japan and the EU, preparations will begin toward establishing InnoEnergy’s Japan office.
InnoEnergy plans to leverage in the Japanese market the investment expertise it has developed in Europe, a region at the forefront of environmental policy.
Through its investments, the European Commission aims to strengthen Japan–EU industrial cooperation in the decarbonization sector, with a focus on batteries, solar power, and hydrogen.
Japan, for its part, seeks to attract large-scale investment funds and stimulate its environmental industries.