Friedrich Merz in Japan on 28 and 29 October: a meeting planned with Sanae Takaichi
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Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 28 and 29 October. The announced programme must be distinguished from the actual results of the talks.
In this article
What is the programme?
According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement of 23 October, Friedrich Merz is due to visit Japan on 28–29 October. A summit meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is planned to deepen relations between the two countries.
The Asian context
According to Reuters, Merz argued in Singapore on 27 October for closer links between European and Asian markets. Trade, technology and security were among the topics. This does not mean a new agreement has already been concluded.
A word to understand the role
Merz is the head of the German government, called Kanzler in German and “chancellor” in English. The expression head of government makes it possible to compare the role between countries, even when its official name changes.
What to check
The ministry document consulted at the time of this edition presents the programme before the visit. You should check announcements after the talks before stating that an agreement or decision has been reached.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Cela ne signifie pas qu’un nouvel accord a déjà été conclu.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
02Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon le communiqué du ministère japonais des Affaires étrangères du 23 octobre, Friedrich Merz doit se rendre au Japon du 28 au 29 octobre.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
03Expressing a plan or a deadline
être prévu / prévoir / être envisagé
Un entretien au sommet avec la Première ministre Sanae Takaichi est prévu pour approfondir les relations entre les deux pays.Key pointsPrévoir means “to plan, to expect”. Être prévu means “to be scheduled” and être envisagé means “to be under consideration”. In the news, read them separately from expressions that describe events that have already happened. They do not say that the event has already taken place.
04Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Un entretien au sommet avec la Première ministre Sanae Takaichi est prévu pour approfondir les relations entre les deux pays.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
05The passé composé for events
present of avoir + past participle
Le ministère japonais des Affaires étrangères a annoncé une visite du chancelier allemand Friedrich Merz les 28 et 29 octobre.Key pointsIt reports past events, as in “announced” or “explained”. A / ont is the auxiliary avoir and the next word is the past participle. The passé composé alone does not tell you the date of the event.
06The present of être
est / sont + complement
Merz est le chef du gouvernement allemand, désigné en français par le mot chancelier.Key pointsEst is third-person singular and sont third-person plural of être. They express “is / are” — a state or description. If a past participle follows, it is a different structure such as the passive, so check the words that follow.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
外務省の10月23日の発表によると、メルツ首相は28日から29日まで日本を訪問します。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Rejecting an interpretation
〜わけではない / 〜という意味ではない
これは、すでに新しい協定が成立したという意味ではありません。Key pointsThese forms limit and deny an interpretation: “it does not necessarily follow” or “that is not what is meant”. They do not necessarily deny every fact in the sentence. Read what is being denied together with the earlier part.
03Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
確認時点で参照した外務省の資料は、訪問前の予定を伝えるものです。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
04Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
これは、すでに新しい協定が成立したという意味ではありません。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
05Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
高市早苗首相との首脳会談などが予定されています。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
06The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
ロイターによると、メルツ氏は27日、シンガポールで、ヨーロッパとアジアの市場の結びつきを強める考えを示しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.