APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting (TELMIN 11) Held

1. Outline of the Meeting

The recent meeting of APEC ministers of information and telecommunications represents the first of its kind in ten years, with the previous one taking place in 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In this year’s event, hosted by the Republic of Korea (Incheon), discussions were held on the three major themes set under the chairmanship of the host country, which were: (1) facilitating digital and AI innovation to address socio-economic challenges, (2) enhancing digital connectivity for all, and (3) creating a safe, secure and reliable digital and AI ecosystem.

In the discussions on the first theme of facilitating digital and AI innovation to address socio-economic challenges, Deputy Director-General Shibuya expressed the recognition that it is essential to utilize digital and AI technologies in order to tackle the socio-economic challenges faced by Japan to address the aging population and declining birthrate, a decrease in the working-age population, disaster management, and diminishing international competitiveness.

In addition, he explained about the plan  scheduled to be completed by this coming winter to formulate a AI basic plan based on the Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of AI-related Technology (Act No. 53 of 2025) enacted in May 2025, as well as Japan’s intention to make government-wide efforts to promote AI-related policies under the leadership of the AI strategic headquarters to be set up with the prime minister serving as its head.

Furthermore, he outlined a number of related programs run by METI specifically to promote large-scale investments in AI data centers, start-up supports, the training of AI human resources, the development and implementation of AI-enabled services for addressing social challenges posed by the aging society, and disaster management and other issues. He also described future plans for facilitating AI utilization centering on robotics, automobiles, pop culture and other areas where Japan has uniquely strong advantages, with the aim of enhancing its industrial competitiveness and in pursuit of sustainable economic growth. 

As a result of ministerial discussions, the Ministerial Statement was adopted as an outcome of the meeting.

2. Meeting with Mr. Michael J. Kratsios, Director of the US White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from the United States of America

Making use of the opportunity afforded by the ministerial meeting and in cooperation with MIC, Deputy Director-General Shibuya held a meeting with Mr. Michael J. Kratsios, Director of the US White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and engaged in in-depth dialogue on common policy and other issues with his counterpart.

Reference

• Ministerial Statement (original)(PDF:217KB)

Division in Charge

Office of International Affairs, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau