Japan, the United States and South Korea are set to agree Wednesday on reinforcing supply chains for critical minerals such as those used in semiconductors and electric cars amid China's increased influence in the global economy.
The agreement is likely to be reached during a meeting of the industry ministers of the three countries in Washington, according to officials.
Ahead of the first trilateral meeting of its kind, Japanese industry minister Ken Saito and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Duk Geun met bilaterally in the U.S. capital and also agreed to work closely on industrial decarbonization.
Citing the increasing uncertainty in global affairs, as seen in situations like Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Saito told Ahn that cooperation between Japan and South Korea is becoming "more and more important for the development and stability of the region."
"We'd like to advance our bilateral partnership in a range of areas, including industry cooperation, securing energy and key mineral resources that are highly dependent on foreign countries, and achieving decarbonization," Saito said.
Ahn said the neighboring countries should "deliver results" in the fields of hydrogen and other new energy sources, critical minerals and trade.
The trilateral meeting involving U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo comes as part of efforts to broaden the scope of collaboration among Washington, Tokyo and Seoul beyond the realm of traditional security, bearing in mind China's growing political and economic clout.
The policy direction was confirmed when U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a three-way summit in August last year with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
