Japan has told the United States that they will not join Washington’s plan to bar Chinese firms from telecommunications networks.
Japan will reportedly take its own steps to respond in case there are worries over security issues, while Tokyo will continue cooperate with the United States on a resolution, according to the Yomiuri newspaper.
The US State Department published an update to the “Clean Network” plan in August, calling for telecom companies, cloud service providers, and mobile apps of Chinese origin like TikTok to be kept out of the United States. The United States is also pressing allies to bar Huawei from next generation 5G mobile phone networks on security grounds.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, mentioned the “Clean Network” plan when he met Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo in October, the Yomiuri said.
Japan told the United States that Tokyo cannot join a framework which excludes a specific nation but will reconsider if there is any change to the current US plan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, the top Government spokesman, responded to the Yomiuri report by saying his understanding was there was no exchange of views on the “Clean Network” plan during the meeting between Pompeo and Motegi, but the US explained its overall cybersecurity efforts.
“Our nation wants to continue to strengthen cooperation in the area of cybersecurity with the US,” said Secretary Kato during a news conference on Friday 16 October.
Japan will also take steps to secure cybersecurity safety by reducing supply chain risks when procuring information and communication equipment, he said.
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