Japan Calls for Urgent Countermeasures After China-Linked Influence Operation Targets PM

OpenAI says it banned a ChatGPT account linked to Chinese law enforcement that sought to plan a ‘covert influence operation’ targeting Japan’s prime minister.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Nov. 17, 2025. STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images

Japanese authorities have called for urgent countermeasures after an OpenAI report uncovered a large-scale, China-linked influence campaign that included Japan’s prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, as a target.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara described influence operations by foreign powers as “a national security threat” when asked about OpenAI’s latest report on artificial intelligence (AI) misuse at a regular briefing on Jan. 27.