On Oct. 22, a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) parliamentarian group for rule-making strategies (chaired by the LDP Tax Research Commission Chairman Akira Amari) met with representatives of the National Security Secretariat (NSS) and private-sector companies that handle technology and sensitive information. At the meeting, the LDP group requested the companies to formulate guidelines on preventive measures against the leakage of dual-use technologies and sensitive information.

China is moving forward with its “fusion of the military and private sectors” with the aim of harnessing private-sector technologies for military use. The LDP is deeply concerned that Japanese corporations have become targets of the Chinese campaign. The LDP group proposed that the companies erect a firewall around units that deal with sensitive information to separate them from other sections.

The LDP group urged companies with overseas offices and production sites to take measures to block employees who interact with Chinese entities from accessing sensitive information. In addition, the group recommended that the corporations create executive-level positions that oversee all advanced technologies the company possesses.

The Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo has a program where participants from government and private organizations can learn about threats posed by economic spies as well as how to manage and protect technology. The lawmakers will call on the government, academic, and business sectors to create more opportunities to develop domestic companies’ awareness and knowledge.