JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka met online with Mireya Solis, Director of the Center for East Asian Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, on August 31. Ms. Solis is a newly appointed member of the International Advisory Board (“IAB”)*, which JICA established in 2017, in May 2021. At the beginning of the meeting, President Kitaoka asked Mr. Solis about his views on the impact of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan on the Biden administration and future U.S. foreign and development policy. Mr. Solis pointed out that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan is a major challenge for President Biden. In this context, he said that in preparation for next year’s mid-term elections in the U.S., President Biden will focus on vaccination, infrastructure development in the U.S., social security, and climate change measures to solidify domestic support for his administration. Diplomatically, he said that Asia is a top priority region in the context of competition with China, and that he will promote cooperation with the Japan-US-Australia-India “Quad” and other like-minded countries in areas such as vaccines, climate change countermeasures, and technology. President Kitaoka (left) and Director Solis (right)
In the exchange of views between Mr. Solis and the participants, the issue was raised that the prospects for U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia under the Biden administration are uncertain. A wide range of discussions were held on the importance of Japan’s leadership in building the international order, and the importance of complementary cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in infrastructure development in developing countries and in building supply chains. Mr. Solis also expressed his hope for an increase in Japan’s ODA budget, saying that JICA’s new initiatives such as “Acceptance of Foreigners and Realization of Symbiotic Society” and “JICA Chair” are valuable as investments in human capital.
In closing, President Kitaoka expressed his hope that the free and vigorous exchange of ideas and opinions that took place this time will continue. Mr. Solis agreed and expressed his hope that the IAB as a whole will have opportunities for discussion in the near future.
(Note: The IAB was established in March 2017 for the purpose of obtaining advice on JICA’s business policies and initiatives from internationally renowned domestic and foreign experts to improve the strategic nature of its projects, among others.
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