Fact Sheet - President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Are Working Together to Maintain a Free and Open Indo-Pacific

A FREE AND OPEN INDO-PACIFIC: The United States and Japan are working together to maintain a free, open, and prosperous regional order in the Indo-Pacific.

• The United States, in partnership with Japan, is assisting Indo-Pacific nations to:
  • Improve their energy security and access;
  • Catalyze investment in physical and digital infrastructure;
  • Enhance maritime security and safety; and
  • Boost resiliency to natural disasters.

ENERGY: The United States and Japan are cooperating to promote energy security and access in the Indo-Pacific, including through the Japan-United States Strategic Energy Partnership.

• Through the Japan-United States Strategic Energy Partnership, and in coordination with the United States' Asia EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) initiative, the two countries are cooperating to support energy sector development in the region, especially in expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.
• The United States and Japan are coordinating technical assistance to support sustainable development of power resources.
• Supporting Bangladesh's energy needs, GE is collaborating with local and Japanese partners to develop a 2400 MW power plant.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT FINANCE: The United States and Japan seek to ensure that infrastructure knits the Indo-Pacific region together, generates local wealth, and leads to sustainable growth.

• The two countries are deepening ties between our development finance institutions in order to catalyze private sector-led investment and growth.
• The United States and Japan are assisting Bangladesh with constructing and improving cross-border road networks and boosting the efficiency of inland ports.
• Japan will provide the Federated States of Micronesia with heavy equipment to maintain roads built with U.S. assistance under the Compact of Free Association.
• The United States and Japan are providing funding for the construction of the Yap Women's Association Center in the Federated States of Micronesia to contribute to women's empowerment.
  • The two countries, in partnership with the Federated States of Micronesia, expect to build the Yap Wellness Center to increase access to healthcare and improve the quality of life for citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia.

DIGITAL ECONOMY AND CYBERSECURITY: Cyberspace increasingly will be an engine of economic growth and innovation in the Indo-Pacific.

• The United States and Japan are working together to foster a vibrant and resilient Indo-Pacific digital economy and ensure a secure cyber future.
• To bolster the cybersecurity defenses of critical infrastructure and promote focus on industrial control system security, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and METI conducted joint training on industrial control systems for ASEAN member countries and other Indo-Pacific partners in September 2018.
• The United States is cooperating with Japan in providing capacity building and technical support to the Pacific Islands.

MARITIME SECURITY AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION: The United States and Japan are building capacity to advance the region's rules-based maritime order, and to boost resiliency to natural disasters that threaten lives and property and disrupt commercial activity.

• The United States and Japan are coordinating on capacity building efforts with partner maritime agencies in the Philippines.
• The United States and Japan are supporting Palau's effort to improve its maritime domain awareness through the installation of a coastal surveillance system.
• The United States and Japan are supporting Bangladesh's capabilities to respond to natural disasters such as cyclones and floods, including through provision of rescue boats.
• The United States and Japan are supporting Sri Lankan disaster risk-reduction efforts through funding for landslide prevention, grants for weather radar, and disaster-resilient water supply systems.