Visiting Fellow
Japanese foreign and security policy, economic security, Japan’s role in the Indo-Pacific; EU–Japan relations; Japan-China relations, East Asian geopolitics; geoeconomics and strategic risk analysis.
German, English, Greek, French (conversational), Japanese (conversational)
Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp is a visiting fellow in the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She is also a director at Agora Strategy Group, where she leads the Agora Strategy Institute.
She specialises in Japanese foreign, economic and security policy, EU–Japan relations, and geopolitical and geoeconomic developments across the Indo-Pacific, with a particular focus on how shifts in East Asia affect Europe and transatlantic partners and businesses.
Previously, she worked as a Japan analyst in Munich, as a policy fellow at Das Progressive Zentrum in Berlin, as a research assistant and Forum Ebenhausen fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin), and as a doctoral researcher at the German Institute for Japanese Studies in Tokyo. She also worked in the Europe and International Affairs Department of the Hessian State Chancellery in Wiesbaden, adding practical government experience to her academic and policy background.
Pohlkamp holds a PhD from the University of Tübingen and has published widely on Japanese foreign and security policy, Sino-Japanese relations, and strategic developments in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions.
Europe and Japan seek deeper defence-industrial cooperation; but the fragmented EU system is creating challenges. As a first step, Tokyo should establish stronger bilateral partnerships, particularly with Germany and Poland
Sanae Takaichi’s supermajority victory will speed up Japan’s assertive policies on defence and economic security. For Europe, this makes Japan a more predictable partner—but it also adds pressure to match Tokyo’s new pace
Japan and China are heading towards a new, albeit contained, rivalry. To mitigate the economic and security impacts of further Chinese coercion, the EU needs to coordinate its response with Indo-Pacific partners
Donald Trump has already met Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo. As the two move closer on defence and economic security, the EU must reflect on the credibility of its own alliance
With an unpredictable US and a defiant China, the EU and Japan must deepen their alignment—fast. Strategic cooperation in defence, economic security and diplomacy is no longer optional; it’s essential to shaping, not just surviving, the new global order
The return of Donald Trump could shake the fundamentals of US relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Here’s how Europeans should act
New Japanese prime minister Ishiba Shigeru has signaled a commitment to continuing his predecessor’s outreach to South Korea. Europe should seize the moment to tackle shared challenges with both countries
Russia’s war on Ukraine, the US-China rivalry, and evolving geostrategic dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region have pushed Japan to recalibrate its approach to emerging countries in the global south. European governments, facing challenges to restore a positive image in their engagement with these countries, can draw valuable inspiration from Tokyo’s approach
Japan’s approach to economic security provides valuable lessons for Europe about effectively navigating the challenges posed by a rising China
A recent thaw in ties between the EU’s two most important partners in East Asia is a potential game-changer for a region fraught with geopolitical danger – but complex domestic politics in both countries may yet derail a truly long-lasting rapprochement
Europe and Japan seek deeper defence-industrial cooperation; but the fragmented EU system is creating challenges. As a first step, Tokyo should establish stronger bilateral partnerships, particularly with Germany and Poland
Sanae Takaichi’s supermajority victory will speed up Japan’s assertive policies on defence and economic security. For Europe, this makes Japan a more predictable partner—but it also adds pressure to match Tokyo’s new pace
Japan and China are heading towards a new, albeit contained, rivalry. To mitigate the economic and security impacts of further Chinese coercion, the EU needs to coordinate its response with Indo-Pacific partners
Donald Trump has already met Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo. As the two move closer on defence and economic security, the EU must reflect on the credibility of its own alliance
With an unpredictable US and a defiant China, the EU and Japan must deepen their alignment—fast. Strategic cooperation in defence, economic security and diplomacy is no longer optional; it’s essential to shaping, not just surviving, the new global order
The return of Donald Trump could shake the fundamentals of US relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Here’s how Europeans should act
New Japanese prime minister Ishiba Shigeru has signaled a commitment to continuing his predecessor’s outreach to South Korea. Europe should seize the moment to tackle shared challenges with both countries
Russia’s war on Ukraine, the US-China rivalry, and evolving geostrategic dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region have pushed Japan to recalibrate its approach to emerging countries in the global south. European governments, facing challenges to restore a positive image in their engagement with these countries, can draw valuable inspiration from Tokyo’s approach
Japan’s approach to economic security provides valuable lessons for Europe about effectively navigating the challenges posed by a rising China
A recent thaw in ties between the EU’s two most important partners in East Asia is a potential game-changer for a region fraught with geopolitical danger – but complex domestic politics in both countries may yet derail a truly long-lasting rapprochement
Dr Janka Oertel discusses with Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp and Bonji Ohara the cooperation in the field of cybersecurity between two of the US closest allies
How will the new administration impact US Indo-Pacific strategy and China policy?
Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp on German defence minister Pistorius’ plans for the Indo-Pacific
Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp on Germany’s security perspective in the Indo-Pacific
Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp on the diplomatic conflict between China and Japan surrounding Taiwan
The commentary “Managing a rivalry: the latest Japan-China escalation and what Europe can do” by Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp quoted by Avvenire
In general, the NATO-IP4 cooperation is a good thing, since it symbolizes the recognition that both the Indo-Pacific theater and the European theater are linked
Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp comments on NATO-IP4 cooperation
