Technology ties including 5G deployment cement Japan-United States bonds | Opinion

• Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
• William Hagerty is U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Every spring, cherry blossom trees dotting the streets of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, begin to bloom, a reminder of the enduring friendship between Japan and the United States.  Our transpacific bond runs deep. 

The United States is Japan’s top foreign direct investor, and Japan is a significant investor in the United States. This robust economic relationship is responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries and supports our mutual prosperity.

Underlying our deep economic ties are our shared fundamental values. Free and fair elections, an independent media, and market-based economies epitomize the ideals that American and Japanese citizens universally embrace. 

Our people share a thirst for vigorous political discourse and debate that is possible only in a thriving democracy. 

Japan is a clear contrast to totalitarian China

As carriers around the world deploy 5G networks, it bears remembering that freedom and technology can be mutually supportive. Greater connectivity leads to the free flow of ideas across borders and continents. Social media platforms help mobilize and empower citizens who otherwise would not have a forum to express their views. 

We view free speech as a fundamental right that should flourish alongside technological advancements. It is a right, however, that is increasingly at risk in parts of the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan stands as one of the region’s shining examples of a country where citizens can freely express their views about the government. 

In China, by contrast, the regime closely monitors individuals through social media for signs of unrest or criticism. Under China’s social credit system, the government assigns a numerical value to an individual’s social reputation; this is just the latest iteration of the state’s efforts to control the behavior and movements of its citizens.

Japan is also key to helping protect intellectual property

As global leaders in technological development, the United States and Japan remain strongly committed to protecting freedoms both online and offline and ensuring technology does not become a tool of oppression or a vulnerability in our critical infrastructure. 

The advent of 5G has the potential to transform the way we communicate and live our lives, while bolstering innovation and economic growth. There are opportunities for our two nations to build a lasting partnership out of the shared need for a secure supply chain as we transition to the 5G era.  

We share the same security interests in protecting our communications networks from foreign surveillance and malicious actors. Japan has issued policy guidance that effectively prohibits government contracts from utilizing communications equipment that poses a national security risk. 

The United States has gone a step further by banning technology from Huawei and four other Chinese manufacturers in government systems.

We applaud plans by Japanese wireless carriers to build secure 5G networks using trusted technology. This approach is part of our shared commitment to protecting our citizens and companies from unfair and harmful business practices. 

The United States is concerned about China’s persistent disregard for intellectual property rights and its reliance on state-subsidized industries. Until China puts an end to its market-distorting activities, we will never be able to enjoy a truly cooperative relationship.

Clear alignment between the United States and Japan will provide the certainty and scale that market-driven technology companies need to deepen and accelerate their capital investment in this critical arena.  Let us use our unique U.S.-Japan relationship to set a standard that protects our citizens, our companies, and our markets.

Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate. William Hagerty is U.S. ambassador to Japan.