Top US and Japan commerce officials agreed to work together to explore the development of next generation semiconductors as part of efforts to maintain regional economic order.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura in Detroit on Friday and said that chip research centers in both countries will be encouraged to create a roadmap for technological and human resource development, according to a joint statement. They will also cooperate to resolve geographic concentrations of production undermining semiconductor supply chain resilience.

The move comes as ties between the US and China, the world’s two biggest economies, have deteriorated, with chip policies and export controls among some of the thorny issues in play. Raimondo also met with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao this week, where they agreed to strengthen communications even as they traded complaints about each other’s policies.

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