Japan, U.S. to Sign Memorandum on AI, Other Science, Tech Fields During Trump’s Visit to Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:16 JST, October 25, 2025

The Japanese and U.S. governments have started making arrangements to sign a ministerial-level memorandum of cooperation in seven fields of science and technology during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan, government sources said.

Amid intensifying competition between the United States and China for technological supremacy, the aim of signing the memorandum is to enhance Japan-U.S. strategic cooperation on cutting-edge technologies in order to strengthen their dominance over China.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Trump, who is set to arrive on Monday, are scheduled to hold their summit talks on Tuesday, and the memorandum is expected to be signed in Tokyo on the day. It will be signed by economic security minister Kimi Onoda, who also serves as minister for science and technology policy, and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

According to the draft memorandum, promoting cooperation will “usher in the next golden age of innovation to fortify freedom and prosperity for generations to come.” It emphasizes the importance of deepening ties in science and technology with strategic partners across the Indo-Pacific to ensure stability in the region.

The fields to be covered in the memorandum are artificial intelligence adoption and innovation, research security, high-speed communication standards beyond 5G and 6G, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, quantum technology, nuclear fusion, and space.

Among these, Japan and the United States place particular emphasis on AI, a field in which China is heavily investing in order to advance technological innovation and is also advancing its military applications.

In the memorandum, Japan and the United States cited a policy to accelerate applications in industry and society, led by AI-related research institutions in both countries, such as the Riken research institute and the U.S. National Science Foundation. Cooperation on cutting-edge semiconductors, essential for AI, will be also included in the memorandum.

The memorandum seeks to expand the interoperability of Japanese and American AI technologies and promote cooperation in exporting such items as AI infrastructure and hardware with China in mind, as the country spreads its AI technology to emerging nations.

Through these efforts, the Japan-U.S. alliance aims to take the dominant position in AI proliferation.