Japan, South Korea and China are expected to launch regular ministerial talks on information technology issues, telecommunications minister Toranosuke Katayama said Friday.
The three countries will agree on the creation of the forum to promote cooperation in IT when Katayama visits South Korea and China next month.
The Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Minister will visit Seoul on Jan. 8 for talks with South Korean leaders, including Information and Communication Minister Yang Seung Taik.
Katayama will then visit Beijing on Jan. 10 for talks with Chinese leaders, such as Wu Jichuan, minister of information technology and telecom industries.
While in Beijing until Jan. 13, Katayama will also attend a round-table meeting on IT-related issues between Japanese and Chinese government and private-sector representatives. The Japanese delegation will include Junichiro Miyazu, president of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., and Hitachi Ltd. Chairman Tsutomu Kanai.
With China opening its telecom market wider after its entry into the World Trade Organization earlier this month, the meeting will discuss the countries' telecom policies and business conditions and seek to make it an annual session.