- We need to come together.
This is what Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) says about China's dominant role in parts of the energy sector such as solar cells and batteries.
- I think it is very important that you cannot protect yourself in order to gain competitiveness. And that is why it is very important that Europe does not close in on itself, the Foreign Minister tells the media Energiwatch in connection with European Energy's celebration of the entry of the Japanese major corporation Mitsubishi as an investor in the company. An investment of over five billion. Danish kroner.
- But we must think in terms of strategic autonomy, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen, which is about the EU not being dependent on others when it comes to access to technologies, raw materials and the like.
- How do we get access to the special value chains, rare earths and the like ourselves, asks Løkke.
- Because over the past few years it has become a bit too monopolized in Chinese hands.
Rare earths appear in wind turbines and other central parts of the modern energy infrastructure, among other things.
The Japanese have played a very reserved role towards China in terms of investments for many years, are you a bit on the same page here with a bit more caution towards China?
- There is no doubt that we should not be naive towards China. But it is also important to balance it. China is here to stay and is an unavoidable factor in every way, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
- So it's not just something we turn our backs on, but we observe a different kind of caution in the cooperation we have. That's also why the agreement I signed with China last year was much more focused than the very, very broad partnership agreement we made years ago. And it's an expression of a new realism, and it's in this context that we're not going over to the other side, he says.
New times
He says that we came from a time when we collaborated on everything.
- Our universities were open, come and have a look. We need to have a form of realism there, but it should not lead to a major U-turn where we do not cooperate with them at all.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen, on the other hand, sees Japan as an interesting partner for Danish companies going forward.
- We are seeing a tripling of Japanese investments in Denmark over a few years, and our bilateral trade is increasing. So even though Japan is a country far away and a different culture, it is an expression that we have skills that others can use.
He believes that Denmark has a leading position that does not just belong in toasts.
- It is sealed when a large Japanese company makes an investment like this. It requires that we are open to cooperation, he says, referring to Mitsubishi's investment of over five billion. kr.
- It is important in a time when globalization is in reverse gear due to war and unrest that we look around for strategic partners, and here Japan is a good bet. It is one of the countries we are looking at, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
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