The Diplomat
Spain and Japan will seek to strengthen business collaboration in sectors such as renewable energies and digitalisation, according to the 22nd Spain-Japan Forum, held yesterday at Keihanna Science City, a business and technology hub near Kyoto.
During the Forum, which was attended by some twenty Spanish and Japanese companies, twenty Spanish and Japanese compani particularly promising sectors for cooperation between companies from the two countries were analysed. In this regard, the potential in green hydrogen was highlighted, with the participation of representatives from Iberdrola and Mitsubishi; or in digitalisation and 5G networks, in a panel in which representatives from Telefónica and NEC took part.
The executive chairman of Gestamp, Francisco J. Riberas, pointed out that “relations between Spain and Japan are based on mutual respect, something that can be fundamental in a framework of geopolitical tension”. Gestamp has been present in Japan since 2013, through an alliance with the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui, which, according to Riberas, has constantly helped them in their relations with Japanese customers.
For her part, the president of Fujitsu in Spain, Ángeles Delgado, pointed out that “digitalisation must open up new opportunities for collaboration between Spain and Japan”. According to Delgado, “a clear example of this collaboration is the presence of Japanese multinationals in Spain and their strong connection with public institutions, companies and Spanish society”.
There was also ample space at the Forum to analyse the role of Spain and Japan in the current geopolitical context, with the focus on the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Indo-Pacific and vulnerabilities in value chains. The State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau, stressed the “awareness of the interdependence of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific spaces in terms of security”, and stated that “the war in Ukraine is not only a European war, since it affects Japan’s security; and vice versa, because tensions in the Indo-Pacific have repercussions on our security”.
The first session of the Forum was devoted precisely to the current tensions. The President of the Spain-Japan Council Foundation and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josep Piqué, stressed the need to promote “an open international order that rejects the use of force”, but pointed out that “with the war in Ukraine and China’s foreign policy, we see that very important powers do not share this vision of the world”. In this sense, he proposed that countries such as Spain and Japan promote values such as “liberal democracy, market economy and international cooperation” in transnational organisations.
Professor Yuichi Hosoya, from Keio University, indicated that, at a time when “international cooperation is receding and the rules-based order is threatened”, Spain and Japan should “prevent the politics of force from dominating the world, by cooperating to avoid conflicts”.
The Forum also debated issues such as the reactivation of tourism, the role of language in mutual understanding and gastronomy as a lever for the projection of the country’s image.
The Spain-Japan Forum is the main public diplomacy meeting between representatives of civil society and the Administration of both countries. It has been held every year since 1997, alternating between Japan and Spain, on an agenda of strategic issues for bilateral relations.
The Forum is supported by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries. On the Spanish side, its organiser is the Spain-Japan Council Foundation, the main Spanish entity dedicated to public diplomacy with Japan.
Bilateral political consultations
The State Secretary also took advantage of her stay in Japan to travel to Tokyo and hold a session of political consultations with the Japanese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Keiichi Ono.
According to Ángeles Moreno on her Twitter account, during the meeting they reviewed the “excellent bilateral relations in their various dimensions” between the two countries, and addressed regional, global and multilateral issues. She also indicated that Japan is a priority partner for Spain in the Asia-Pacific region and added: “We share values and interests and we want to further develop the strong ties that unite our societies”.
