Episode 47: A Conversation with Taro Kono, Former Foreign, Defense & Digital Minister of Japan

In Tokyo, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari and VP for Global Affairs Joe Wang sat down with Taro KONO — former Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and Digital Minister of Japan, and one of the most influential figures in the LDP — for a wide-ranging conversation on Japan’s place in a rapidly shifting world. The conversation covered four major themes shaping Japan’s strategic future: The Geopolitical Landscape: Kono traces how China’s rise changed everything — from its WTO accession to its island-building in the South China Sea — and why Japan will need more than just the U.S.-Japan security treaty alone to guarantee stability in East Asia. Trump, Beijing, and the Alliance: Kono offers a candid assessment of Trump’s Beijing visit, which may have embolded Xi to act more aggressively against Japan and others in the Indo-Pacific, and why coordinated allied policy vis-à-vis China is urgently needed. Japan’s Defense Transformation: From increasing defense spending and building a robust domestic defense industry, Kono lays out the path Japan must take to shoulder more of its own security burden. AI, Autonomy, and Japan’s Digital Future: Kono reflects on his time as Digital Minister, Japan’s demographic crisis driving AI adoption in government, the rise of drone warfare, and why Japan sees a “quad plus” technology alliance as the realistic path forward. Watch more episodes of Memos to the President on our channel, and Catch our live show, President's Tech Brief, every Friday at 11am! #Japan #USJapan #NationalSecurity #AI #China #SCSP #MemosToThePresident #TaroKono #IndoPacific