Economic Diplomacy
Attendance of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. SHIMADA Tomoaki, at the General Meeting of COCN
On May 14, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. SHIMADA Tomoaki attended the General Meeting of the Council on Competitiveness-Nippon (COCN).
During the discussion, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Shimada introduced the recent economic diplomacy initiatives led by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aim to contribute to the development of new markets and innovation. He explained that the Ministry would leverage its network of overseas missions around the world and its high-level diplomatic channels, including leaders’ and foreign ministers’ levels, to this end, thereby supporting overseas expansion of Japan’s advantageous technology and problem-solving capabilities as well as Japanese companies.
He also emphasized the importance of initiatives in key technology fields, including AI, and stated the Ministry’s intention to continue collaborating with like-minded nations to build ecosystems that promote innovation in these areas. Furthermore, he explained that the Ministry would support the overseas expansion of AI-related Japanese companies, and work together to address challenges in the Global South leveraging Japan’s expertise and technology, and thereby capitalizing on growth opportunities in these regions.
Finally, he stated that the Ministry aims to coordinate to enhance synergies between its diplomatic networks and the expertise of industry, academia and government, including that of the COCN, in order to strengthen Japan’s industrial competitiveness, by promoting the overseas expansion of Japanese technology and the development of innovation ecosystems.