On July 29 in Washington, DC, the United States and Japan convened the first-ever Economic Policy Consultative Committee (EPCC), also known as the “Economic 2+2” meeting.
Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Raimondo, Foreign Minister Hayashi, and METI Minister Hagiuda emphasized their conviction that economic security is indispensable to overall security, and that diplomacy and economic policy are intertwined. They affirmed their shared resolve to present a positive economic vision that highlights the benefits of a rules-based international economic order and emphasized the need to make our economies more competitive and resilient.
They also expressed grave concern about, and opposition to, harmful uses of economic influence, including economic coercion as well as unfair and opaque lending practices, in ways that threaten the legitimate interests of sovereign nations, as well as those of individuals and industries.
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hagiuda Koichi at a Joint Press Availability
- Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi
- Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee: Strengthening Economic Security and the Rules-Based Order
- Opening Remarks with Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hagiuda Koichi