Reference News, December 18 report: According to the "Nikkei Business Daily", the Japanese and U.S. governments are expected to hold their first working-level consultation on the 18th to select specific projects for Japan's commitment to invest 550 billion U.S. dollars (about 8.5 trillion yen) in the United States. Projects in the energy sector are considered strong candidates, and both sides will focus on discussing the feasibility and profitability of the plans.

The report mentioned that the two governments reached an agreement in July this year on Japan's investment of 550 billion U.S. dollars in the United States, and signed a memorandum of understanding containing detailed content in September. The investment is expected to be concentrated in areas such as semiconductors, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors vital to economic security.

Following the October Japan-U.S. summit, the "Fact Sheet" listed four key areas, including energy, AI power development, AI infrastructure enhancement, and critical minerals, and stated that companies from both countries have shown interest in projects worth about 400 billion U.S. dollars.

According to Japanese estimates, the total scale of projects listed in the energy sector, including new nuclear power plants, could reach as high as 327 billion U.S. dollars.

The report pointed out that the selection of projects is led by the U.S.: first, the U.S.-led "Investment Committee", chaired by U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenberg, will screen candidate proposals; then, the "Negotiation Committee" jointly established by Japan and the U.S. will further review the proposal content in combination with legal factors; finally, the decision-making power lies with U.S. President Trump.

The report said that the Negotiation Committee will hold its first meeting on the 18th, and executives in charge of investment affairs to the U.S. from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Japan Export Insurance Corporation will attend the meeting. On the U.S. side, it is the Office of the U.S. Investment Accelerator, newly established in the Trump administration, that leads the communication and coordination with Japan.

Regarding the first project to take shape, Rutenberg said in an interview with the Nikkei Business Daily in October: "It is expected to be a project in the power sector."

In the discussions of the Negotiation Committee, whether to strictly select projects that can ensure profitability for Japanese financial institutions and companies participating in the projects will become a focal issue.

The Japanese government's negotiations with the U.S. aim to push the U.S. to remove tariffs. Japan and the U.S. reached an agreement in July, reducing the tariff rate on Japanese automobiles and parts from 27.5% to 15%, and lowering the reciprocal tariffs on Japanese goods to 15%. As a condition for the exchange, Japan pledged to invest 550 billion U.S. dollars in the U.S. (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7585158955400331782/

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