The first in-person ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework involving 14 countries including Japan and the United States is expected to be held early next month in Los Angeles, Japanese government sources said Sunday.
Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura will be among the attendees at the two-day meeting from Sept. 8, as the delegates aim to push forward negotiations under the U.S.-led trade initiative launched in May, the sources said.
The framework, known as the IPEF, is aimed at balancing Beijing's rising economic clout in the fast-growing region. It also includes Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
The framework will center on four pillars -- fair trade, supply chain resilience, infrastructure and clean energy, and tax and anti-corruption.
The launch of the initiative was announced during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Japan in May.
The Biden administration has said the IPEF will not be a traditional free trade agreement involving tariff-cutting commitments.
It is meant to be an arrangement focused around the further integration of Indo-Pacific economies, such as by setting standards and rules in new areas like the digital economy, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
