U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo was in Asia for a series of meetings with the Japanese government and business leaders to expand economic cooperation.
Raimondo scheduled meetings in Tokyo with Chief of Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu, the Japan Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hagiuda Koichi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hayashi Yoshimasa.
A goal of the meetings, according to a release by the Commerce Department, is to underscore, “the importance of expanding economic cooperation among like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including through the development of an Indo-Pacific economic framework to advance resilience, inclusion, sustainability, and the interests of our respective middle classes.”
Raimondo and Koichi created the Japan-U.S. Commercial and Industrial Partnership aimed to strengthen the economies of the United States and Japan.
Raimondo also participated in a technology roundtable on how the United States and Japan can, according to the release, improve the business environment and foster greater collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese private sectors.
Raimondo’s next stop is Singapore where she’ll meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. She’ll also meet with Damien O’Connor, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Export Growth, and Dan Tehan, Australia’s Minister of Trade Tourism and Investment to get both on board with the Indo-Pacific economic framework.
Also on Raimondo’s busy schedule was a series of forums with Singapore and U.S. business leaders.
