Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and his U.S. counterpart Gina Raimondo on Friday agreed to boost cooperation on the development of next-generation semiconductors.
During the meeting in Detroit, they also confirmed the need to reinforce global supply chains with other partners and through multilateral engagements such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a U.S.-led economic initiative launched last year involving 14 countries in the region.
A joint statement released by Japan's minister of economy, trade and industry and the U.S. commerce secretary said they will encourage semiconductor research centers of the two countries to work together in creating a road map for the development of technology and human resources associated with chips.
At their one-on-one talks on the margins of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum ministerial meeting in the U.S. city, the two also agreed to hold the second "two-plus-two" economic talks "at the earliest possible time."
Japan and the United States held the inaugural talks bringing together the countries' foreign and economic ministers in July last year.
In the face of China's so-called economic coercion, involving the use of economic means to achieve political goals, and its rising influence in the chip sector, Japan and the United States as well as their partners are stepping up efforts to create a system enabling them to better secure key industrial materials.
Nishimura and Raimondo agreed that Japan and the United States will cooperate on geographically diversifying chip production.
