US signs tech deals with Japan and South Korea to counter China’s AI dominance

The United States has signed Technology Prosperity Deals (TPD) with Japan and South Korea to enhance collaboration on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotech, space, and 6G technologies. These agreements aim to strengthen strategic partnerships, align regulations, and reduce dependence on China’s tech supply chain while positioning the allied nations to lead in critical technology sectors.

What you should know: The TPDs represent a strategic effort to leverage each country’s technological strengths and create a unified front in the global technology race.
• Japan brings expertise in advanced materials, robotics, and space technologies, while South Korea dominates memory chip production.
• The agreements follow similar tech partnership strengthening with the U.K. roughly a month earlier.
• President Trump signed the deals during his Asia visit this week, emphasizing the diplomatic and economic significance.

Key collaboration areas: The partnerships focus on removing operational barriers and promoting innovation across multiple technology sectors.
• The U.S.-Japan agreement aims to “advance pro-innovation AI policy frameworks and initiatives to support a U.S.- and Japan-led AI ecosystem and promote exports across the full stack of U.S. and Japanese AI infrastructure, hardware, models, software, applications, and related standards.”
• The U.S.-Korea deal will “advance American interests with coordinated U.S.-Republic of Korea AI exports, strengthening both countries’ export controls and enforcement, and refocusing the partnership between the U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation, and the Korea AI Safety Institute on metrology and standards innovation.”
• Both agreements prioritize easing “operational burdens” for tech companies and removing obstacles to innovative data localization and hosting architectures.

The big picture: These deals signal a coordinated effort to shape global technology standards and supply chains outside of China’s influence.
• The partnerships aim to reduce dependence on China’s tech supply chain while establishing rules for emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing.
• Future breakthroughs may increasingly come from strategic international partnerships rather than individual company labs.
• The aligned tech strategies create new opportunities for both startups and major tech companies operating in these markets.

Why this matters: The agreements position the U.S., Japan, and South Korea as a unified technology bloc capable of competing with China’s technological advancement and setting global standards for critical emerging technologies.