U.S. Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Japan on Countering Foreign Information Manipulation

Office of the Spokesperson

On December 6, 2023, in Tokyo, U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Liz Allen and Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Secretary, Assistant Minister, Director-General for Press and Public Diplomacy Kobayashi Maki signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to counter Foreign Information Manipulation, an increasing threat in the region and beyond.

The signing occurred at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Under Secretary Allen’s visit to the region. Before the signing, Under Secretary Allen and Press Secretary Kobayashi met with State Minister Horii Iwao, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, to discuss future collaboration to counter foreign information manipulation.

The Memorandum of Cooperation is the result of growing cooperation between the U.S. and Japanese governments to identify and counter foreign information manipulation and sets the direction for future collaboration. Under the Memorandum, the two countries will work together to improve capacities to counter disinformation.

This signing follows a productive trip to the Republic of Korea, where Under Secretary Allen signed a separate bilateral Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on countering foreign information manipulation. These two memoranda demonstrate the seriousness with which the United States is working with its partners to defend the information space.

Foreign information manipulation is a threat to national and economic security and to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.