TOKYO -- Kazuo Hirai, president and CEO of Sony, is eyeing China as a market for its Hollywood movies and as a hotbed of creative talent that it can help introduce to the rest of the world.

During an interview on the sidelines of the Nikkei Global Management Forum on Tuesday, hours before Americans went to the polls, Hirai also said Sony's content businesses could be affected by recent shimmers of protectionism.

Q: What will be Sony's pillars in its midterm business plan beginning in 2018?

A: We are discussing that now, but as for a hint, we're thinking the internet of things, artificial intelligence and robotics have huge potential. The robot will not be just a home robot, but something that can be used in B2B dealings and logistics. We will put various technologies in the robot, which will have wider potential than a simple home robot.

Q: Sony withdrew its doglike AIBO robot from the market. Do you regret this?

A: It was not my decision, but I know many Sony people say AIBO was Sony's symbolic product at the time, just like the Walkman was in another time. I recognize AIBO was a product that offered a "wow" factor to customers. Our mission is to offer "wow" devices to consumers, so I value what our people say.

Q: What is your plan for the device business?

A: The smartphone business still has room to grow -- though the pace of growth is slowing. And with more smartphones being equipped with "dual cameras," we can sell more camera sensors [to other smartphone makers]. In the coming IoT age, it is possible that everything will be equipped with sensors. This is a big chance for us.

Q: How will Sony expand in China, where you make 7% to 8% of your total revenue?

A: I think the content business, such as music and movies, will see big growth -- and not just selling more Hollywood content in China. We will also help China export its "creative power" overseas. I think there are a lot of talented actors, singers, songwriters, game creators and so forth. China's content market is huge, and it goes in both directions.

Q: Both U.S. presidential candidates are using protectionist rhetoric. If this makes its way into policy, how will it affect Sony?

A: Generally speaking, it is possible for anti-globalism to negatively affect trade. For Sony, it has an impact not only on our manufacturing businesses, but also on our content businesses in terms of copyrights and related intellectual property protections. For global companies like Sony, open-border conditions are important.

Interviewed by Nikkei staff writers Kentaro Iwamoto and Rei Nakafuji