July 27, 2026 Results of APEC Digital AI Ministerial Meeting (TELMIN12)

　On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the APEC Digital AI Ministerial Meeting (TELMIN12) was held in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, and Dr. IMAGAWA Takuo, Vice Minister for International Affairs, attended from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). APEC member economies participated in the meeting, and various policy issues in the ICT field were discussed. The Ministerial Statement was adopted as the outcome document.

1　 Date of the meeting

Thursday, July 23, 2026

2　 APEC member economies

Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Republic of the Philippines; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States of America; Viet Nam

3　A summary of the outcomes of the meeting

　Following last year’s meeting in Incheon, the Republic of Korea, this year’s APEC ministerial meeting on ICT was held in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.

　At this meeting, discussions were conducted on the three themes set by the People’s Republic of China during its presidency:

• (1) Enhancing Digital and AI Technologies for Development
• (2) Facilitating Universal and Meaningful Digital Connectivity
• (3) Supporting Digital Inclusion and Digital Skills Improve

　In the discussion on theme (1), “Enhancing Digital and AI Technologies for Development,” Vice Minister IMAGAWA emphasized the critical importance of establishing rules to realize “safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.” He introduced Japan’s efforts based on the “Hiroshima AI Process” to promote transparency and accountability in generative AI development. He also stressed the importance of broadly sharing these principles and initiatives beyond the G7 and OECD member countries. He also emphasized the importance of addressing privacy and security concerns—which hinder data flow—and promoting “Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT).”

　Next, in the discussion on theme (2), “Facilitating Universal and Meaningful Digital Connectivity,” he emphasized that a well-balanced combination of competition policy and financial support for underserved areas is essential to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity. He also stressed the importance of ensuring digital infrastructure that is advanced, disaster-resilient, secure, and sustainable as the use of AI expands, and conveyed the importance of international cooperation, including among APEC member economies and regions.

　As a result of the ministerial discussions, the Ministerial Statement (Chengdu Statement) was adopted as the outcome of the meeting.

[Attachments]

Ministerial Statement [Original]

4　 Overview of bilateral meetings

Making use of the opportunity to attend the ministerial meeting, Vice Minister IMAGAWA held bilateral meetings with the following ministers and officials, and he had in-depth dialogues on common policy issues with individual counterparts:

• Viet Nam : Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Minister for Science and Technology
• The United States of America:
  Dr. Joel E. Gardner, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Emerging Technology, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, U.S. Department of State
  Mr. Bill Guidera, Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Engagement, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Indonesia: Ms. Mira Tayyiba, Director General of Digital Government Technology

(Below: Scenes from the meeting)