Japan and the United States are considering a meeting of their foreign and economy ministers in San Francisco in November, a source close to the matter said Monday, amid growing challenges in the economic security field posed by China.
The Japan-U.S. “two-plus-two” talks on the economy would be held on the fringes of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum’s ministerial gathering scheduled for two days from Nov. 14 in the Californian city, according to the source.
If realized, it would be the second time for Japan and the United States to hold such discussions. The talks were initiated in July last year in Washington.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura are expected to attend the meeting, along with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The four ministers are likely to exchange views on measures to build resilient supply chains for key minerals that are less dependent on certain countries in the face of China’s expanding military use of cutting-edge technologies.
The prospect of the ministerial talks comes as expectations mount that U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco on the sidelines of the APEC summit in mid-November.