Japanese Minister Blames X Platform for Diplomatic Misunderstanding

News Desk

TOKYO: Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa has attributed a diplomatic blunder to Elon Musk’s X social media platform, which nearly caused a significant misunderstanding regarding his knowledge of world leaders.

The incident occurred on October 28, when Akazawa posted a message about his meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, but the platform’s automatic translation erroneously identified Rahman as the ousted Sheikh Hasina.

In a press briefing, Akazawa expressed concern over the implications of the mistranslation, stating, “This is actually a serious matter. It is possible that the Bangladeshi public might be left with the impression that Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry does not even know who our prime minister is.”

He reassured reporters of his familiarity with the current political landscape in Bangladesh.

The original post included photographs of Akazawa and Rahman, but the translation tool’s error suggested that Akazawa had met with Hasina, who has been in exile since a political uprising in 2024.

This is not the first instance where Akazawa has faced issues with translation accuracy, raising questions about the reliability of automated tools in diplomatic communications.

As Japan and Bangladesh continue to strengthen their bilateral relations, this incident underscores the importance of precise communication in international diplomacy.

Akazawa’s office is expected to issue a clarification to mitigate any potential fallout from the misunderstanding, and further discussions on enhancing translation accuracy may be initiated.