Shifting ‘balance of power’ and worsening conflicts are driving “profound structural changes” in the world today, said Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo on Thursday (October 1, 2026). In a video message that was delivered at the beginning of a foreign policy think tank event in Tokyo, Mr. Motegi warned about the worldwide impact of generative AI and said under these circumstances, responding to disinformation and misinformation have become an “urgent challenge” for the international community.

“The world is currently undergoing profound structural changes driven by shifts in the balance of power and the intensification of conflicts. The widespread use of social media and generative AI has enabled enormous amounts of information to spread across borders,” said Mr. Motegi in the inaugural speech at the International Journalists’ Conference, organised on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Foreign Press Center Japan (FPCJ).

Mr. Motegi highlighted the importance of ‘free, responsible and trustworthy journalism’ that he described as the ‘cornerstone of dialogue and trust in the international community”.

“Under these circumstances, responding to disinformation and misinformation has become an urgent challenge for the international community,” Mr. Motegi said.

Speaking on the occasion, Kazuo Kodama, president of FPCJ and former ambassador of Japan to the EU, emphasised the need to resolve geopolitical conflicts and safeguard democratic practices worldwide.

[The correspondent is visiting Japan as a guest of the Foreign Press Center Japan.]

The Quad remains a “vital framework”, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, responding to concerns that the four-nation grouping had lost its relevance, and indicated in an interview that ‘Cooperation over Critical Minerals’ needed for green energy and hi-tech would be at the top of the agenda for the Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) on Tuesday (May 25, 2026). Japan is working on critical minerals’ projects in India, Mr. Motegi also said, but called for improved infrastructure, more tax subsidies, and protection for intellectual property rights.

The Quad meeting, which will be hosted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and will include Mr. Motegi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is expected to take stock of the conflict in Iran, the Hormuz Strait blockade, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit this month to China, as well as set the agenda for the Quad Summit that has not taken place since 2024 amidst India-U.S. tensions on a number of issues.