Digital ministers from Japan and ASEAN member countries hold a meeting in Hanoi, January 16, 2026. Photo: Jiji Press
The AI-sector cooperation was included in a joint statement adopted at a meeting of digital ministers from Japan and ASEAN member states in Hanoi on Thursday.
The statement was proposed by Japanese communications minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who attended the meeting.
Japan and ASEAN aim to join hands at a time when the United States and China are boosting their presence in the AI sector.
At the outset of the meeting, Hayashi, who served as co-chair, said that Japan will continue making contributions to the development of ASEAN.
In a Japan-ASEAN summit held in Kuala Lumpur last October, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for launching an initiative to expand joint research in fields such as semiconductors and AI.
The joint statement adopted Thursday is part of the initiative, also calling on Japan and ASEAN to cooperate on developing related infrastructure, preparing security measures and fostering human resources.
Japan also signed a memorandum with Cambodia on the development of a large language model using Khmer.
Hayashi held a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
