Govt to hold 1st economic security forum

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, December 14, 2025

The inaugural Tokyo Economic Security Forum, an event organized by the Japanese government at which government officials and other experts from around the world will discuss economic security, will be held in Tokyo on Monday. At a time when global economic uncertainties are increasing due to the U.S.-China trade war and high tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, nations must forge closer ties and seek solutions to the challenges they face.

The event is the centerpiece of the world’s first international holding of the Economic Security Global Forum Weeks, a series of events set up for discussions on economic security from various perspectives. It began in September and is running through December.

High-ranking officials from the Japanese government will participate in the opening session of the forum, which will be followed by four panel discussions.

Panel 1 will feature senior government officials from Japan, Europe and India introducing their respective policies and strategies and discussing the direction ahead. Panel 2 will bring together corporate representatives, including NEC Corp. and IBM Corp., for an exchange of views on topics such as partnerships between private companies and governments.

In Panel 3, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, which is overseen by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, and companies including General Motors Co. will discuss issues such as supply-chain stability for critical minerals. Panel 4 will convene participants from think tanks in Japan, the United States, Britain and Australia.

More than 20 events scheduled

The broader Weeks program also includes the Japan-U.S. Forum that was hosted by Princeton University in October, where topics included how to reconcile free trade with economic security. A symposium scheduled for Dec. 16 by the Institute of Developing Economies at the Japan External Trade Organization — titled “Surviving the Age of Weaponized Global Networks” — is also planned, among other events.

More than 20 events, including the Forum, will have been held by the end of the week.

Long-term strategy necessary

Regarding economic security, the Chinese government announced on Oct. 9 more extensive export restrictions and related measures concerning rare earths, instilling a sudden sense of crisis in the United States, European countries and Japan.

Rare earths are used in a wide range of products, including automobiles and semiconductors, with China responsible for about 70% of global production and about 90% of refining. The export restrictions were a measure China launched to demonstrate its dominant position, which it could use as a bargaining chip in tariff negotiations with the United States.

Following the summit meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 30, the implementation of China’s rare earth export restrictions was postponed. However, this does not mean the issue has been resolved; it merely reflects a temporary alignment of interests between the two sides to avoid further escalating the trade war.

The confrontation between liberal democracies, led by the United States, and the authoritarian bloc, including China and Russia, over resources and technologies essential for stable economic development is expected to persist. Under such circumstances, Japan is required to formulate a long-term strategy.