This combined photo shows, clockwise from upper left, Japanese Prime Minisiter Yoshihide Suga, U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's science and technology minister Shinji Inoue on Tuesday stressed the importance of cooperation with fellow Quad members the United States, Australia and India in developing emerging technologies, a field where China is exerting growing clout.

       "Today, emerging technologies such as the internet of things, 5G, artificial intelligence, quantum technology not only produce economic benefits but have the potential to affect civil liberties, human rights and even national security," Inoue said as he attended a U.S.-organized event in Washington virtually.

       "It is very important for the Quad countries...which share common values, to cooperate in emerging technologies so that sustainable, inclusive, resilient economic growth can be promoted in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

       The four-country framework is widely seen as a united front against China's attempts to challenge the rules-based international order in economic, political and military fields.

       Eric Lander, director of the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, K. VijayRaghavan, principal scientific adviser to the Indian government, and Michael Pezzullo, secretary of the Department of Home Affairs in Australia also joined the conference hosted by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

       Expressing wariness about China's growing influence over developing countries in the research and development of AI and other cutting-edge technologies, Lander stressed the need to work with such countries by recruiting prospective talents widely from around the world.

       Lander said he hopes that the Quad countries will tackle both "exciting upsides" and "problematic downsides" of emerging technologies including AI.

       "Democracies are prepared to talk about both of those things. How do we make this work for people, for creating jobs, how do we make it work for fairness and equity as well?," he asked.

       The Quad members have been strengthening cooperation, holding their first-ever leaders' summit online in March and seeking to meet in-person in Washington this fall.

       In the online summit in March, the four countries agreed to launch a critical and emerging technology working group covering AI and quantum technology used in encrypted communication.

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