Japan's Security / Peace & Stability of the International Community
The responses to information manipulation, including spread of disinformation
As geopolitical competition intensifies, international information warfare in the cognitive domain through information manipulation, including spread of disinformation, is a constant occurrence, as have been particularly conspicuous over the situation in Ukraine and Israel/Palestine. Foreign information manipulation, in which state and non-state actors deliberately spread disinformation and/or narratives to undermine confidence in Japan's policies or to impede democratic processes and international cooperation, is becoming increasingly important to address.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is aware of this and, based on the National Security Strategy, is steadily strengthening its information gathering, analysis and communication capabilities in response to information warfare through the cooperation of its information, policy and communication divisions. Also, in responding to foreign information manipulation, resilience of the society, including literacy of people, media, think tanks and NGOs, is extremely important. As attempts of spreading disinformation, which is consistent with the facts, have been observed in the case of ALPS treated water, the Ministry responded to them by various efforts such as issuance of press releases denying the disinformation.
Based on the understanding that countries sharing the same concerns over foreign information manipulation should take concerted action, the US Japan Memorandum of Cooperation on Countering Foreign Information Manipulation was signed on December 6, 2023. Besides, in the G7, through issuance of statements on the leaders’ and foreign ministers’ level as well as the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) (PDF) , we are advancing efforts towards steadily strengthening capabilities to make coordinated response to foreign information manipulation, and through bilateral consultations, we have been holding discussions on information manipulation, and been promoting cooperation with other countries and regions that share the same values.
1. Cooperation with foreign governments
(1)Cooperation with the US
The two sides signed Memorandum of Cooperation on countering foreign information manipulation and concurred on the direction for future collaboration to identify and counter foreign information manipulation and steady improvement of capacities to jointly counter foreign information manipulation.
- The Signing of the US Japan Memorandum of Cooperation on Countering Foreign Information Manipulation (December 6, 2023)
- Press Conference by Foreign Press Secretary KOBAYASHI Maki (December 6, 2023)
(2)Cooperation among the G7
Among the G7, the leaders and the foreign ministers issue statements mentioning cooperation on response to information manipulation to advance efforts towards steadily strengthening capabilities to make coordinated response to foreign information manipulation.
In the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) (PDF), like-minded countries exchange information on how to respond to attempts to manipulate information, including the spread of disinformation.
- G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) statement on Russian Influence Campaign (January 17, 2025) (PDF)
- The G7 Foreign Minister’s Meeting (September 23, 2024)
- Apulia G7 Leaders’ Communiqué (PDF)
- Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué (April 19, 2024)
- The G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement (November 8, 2023) (PDF)
- G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué (May 20,2023) (PDF)
- G7 Japan 2023 Foreign Ministers’ Communiqué (April 18, 2023) (PDF)
- G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (November 4, 2022)
- G7 Elmau Leaders’ Communiqué (June 28, 2022) (PDF)
and Executive Summary (PDF)
- G7 Germany 2022 Foreign Ministers’ Communiqué (May 14, 2022) (PDF)
- G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Statement English (March 4, 2022) (PDF)
- G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué (May 6, 2021)
(3)Outreach activities
A workshop on countering disinformation was held with Southeast Asian countries to exchange views on their awareness of the situation regarding disinformation and the state of countermeasures.
2. Individual cases in Japan
[ALPS treated water]
3. Published documents by foreign countries
(1)The US
The US Government has published reports and other information on disinformation and manipulative activities against the cyberspace on the situation in Ukraine and other issues.
(2)EU
Through its task force projects, the EEAS (the European External Action Service) publishes information on disinformation campaigns against EU countries and neighboring countries, as well as on manipulative activities against the cyberspace.
(3)NATO
NATO has published fact sheets and other information on disinformation about NATO over the situation in Ukraine.
(Note) For further information on the information manipulation over the situation in Ukraine, please refer here (U.S. Department of State website) and here (EU vs Disinfo website)
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4. Related documents
- Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders’ Meeting (September 21, 2024)
- Eleventh Japan-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations (“2+2”) (September 5, 2024)
- Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (July 29, 2024)
- Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (Japan-U.S. “2+2”) (July 28, 2024)
- The Tenth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) (July 18, 2024)
- Prime Minister Kishida Attends the NATO Summit (July 11, 2024)
- Japan-New Zealand Summit Meeting (June 19, 2024)
- Signing of the Accord on Support for Ukraine and Cooperation between the Government of Japan and Ukraine (June 13, 2024)
- Accord on Support for Ukraine and Cooperation between the Government of Japan and Ukraine (“Japan-Ukraine Support and Cooperation Accord”)”(PDF)
/(Ukrainian) (PDF)
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- Accord on Support for Ukraine and Cooperation between the Government of Japan and Ukraine (“Japan-Ukraine Support and Cooperation Accord”)”(PDF)
- United States-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Vice Foreign Minister-Level Dialogue (May 31, 2024) (PDF)
- 2024 Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level
- Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué (April 19, 2024)
- Japan-U.S. Joint Leaders’ Statement: (“Global Partners for the Future”) (April 10, 2024)
- Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue (January 9, 2024)
- The Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation(December 20, 2023)
- The Roadmap on Japan-France Cooperation (December 2, 2023) (French) (PDF)
- Joint Readout of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (September 22, 2023) (PDF)
- Fifth Japan-UK Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting (“2+2”) (November 7, 2023)
- Japan-France Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (September 19, 2023)
- The Spirit of Camp David: Joint Statement of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States (August 18, 2023) (PDF)
- Statement by Hayashi Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan in his capacity as Chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Munich Security Conference (February 18, 2023) (PDF)
- Meeting and Working Dinner between Prime Minister Kishida and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (January 31, 2023)
- Joint Statement (PDF)
- The 28th Japan-EU Summit (May 12, 2022)
- Telephone Talk between Prime Minister Kishida and President von der Leyen of the European Commission (December 17, 2021)