Skip to contentThe Asahi Shimbun>Politics>THE ASSOCIATED PRESSGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend an honor guard welcoming ceremony at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo Saturday, March 18. (Pool Photo via AP) strengthen economic and defense ties to better cope with China's growing influence and global security concerns. ally and a major trade partner with China, is in a delicate situation and must balance its position between the two superpowers