The United States and Japan will sign a memorandum of cooperation covering seven technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, on the occasion of next week's U.S.-Japan summit to counter China, which is strengthening its influence in advanced technologies, the Yomiuri Shimbun and other outlets reported on the 25th.
According to the reports, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will hold a summit in Tokyo on the 28th, and senior science officials from both sides will sign the memorandum.
The draft memorandum includes the phrase, "Open a golden age of innovation to firmly secure freedom and prosperity." It also includes language emphasizing the importance of deepening cooperation as strategic partners in the region.
The areas of cooperation are AI, research security, high-speed communications standards, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, quantum, nuclear fusion, and space.
Among these fields, the two countries plan to place particular emphasis on cooperation in AI, where China is pushing technological innovation.
AI-related research institutions in both countries, led by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Japan's RIKEN, will accelerate AI applications in industry and society, and they also plan to explore cooperation on cutting-edge semiconductors needed for AI-enabled weapons.
The two countries also plan to expand interoperability of AI technologies and speed up export cooperation, taking into account that China's AI technologies are spreading in emerging economies and elsewhere.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that a sense of crisis about China underlies the U.S.-Japan technology cooperation, saying, "There are concerns that AI developed by China raises issues over personal data protection and the accuracy of content." It added, "The United States and Japan will pursue technology development and the establishment of international standards to spread AI with high safety and reliability."
The Asahi Shimbun reported that the United States and Japan are also coordinating a plan to produce a joint document stating that they will faithfully implement the contents of the trade negotiation agreement in time for this summit. The newspaper added that the two leaders are discussing having the document signed.