Economic security and mega chokepoints: Japan’s strategic reset

Over the last year, the profound exposure to mega chokepoints in critical minerals and oil flows has jolted global markets and upended international politics. The clock is ticking on a one-year suspension of Chinese export controls on rare earths as part of negotiations last fall with the United States, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has delivered an immediate and severe energy shock. With these major developments as a backdrop, Japan is embarking on a reset of its economic security strategy. The Takaichi administration plans to update the Economic Security Promotion Act to introduce a new investment screening system, stand up a new national intelligence agency, and promote the defense sector as part of its industrial policy push, among other measures.

On May 4, the Center for Asia Policy Studies at Brookings will host a panel of Japanese lawmakers and U.S. experts to assess the direction of Japanese economic security policies and explore the challenges and opportunities to buttressing national resilience. Panelists will also engage in an analytical discussion of the state of play in U.S.-Japan economic security cooperation and the outlook for Japan-China economic ties.

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