TOKYO:  Japan and the U.S. will announce closer cooperation in high-tech areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) in a joint statement when Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio meets with President Joe Biden next month, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said on Saturday.

Biden is set to host Kishida for an official visit to the U.S. on April 10.

Calling ties between the two allies a “global partnership”, the joint statement will advocate stronger cooperation in AI and semiconductors, Asahi said without citing its sources.

As part of the agreement, Japan and the U.S. will likely set up a framework for AI research and development, working with Nvidia, Arm and Amazon, among others, the newspaper said.

The U.S. has moved aggressively in recent months to halt shipments of advanced AI chips to China, in its efforts to stop Beijing from getting cutting-edge U.S. technology that could strengthen its military.

Reuters