by Press Trust of IndiaBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy arrived in Japan on Thursday for the G7 summit, with which they signed a new so-called “Hiroshima Agreement” for UK-Japan economic, security and technology co-operation.
This new UK-Japan global strategic partnership is being seen as a counterbalance to Chinese dominance in the region and to take forward “ambitious” R&D collaboration and skills exchange to strengthen supply chain resilience in the key sector. including a semiconductors partnership for
The UK also confirmed that its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) warships would return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025, following a maiden visit to the region including India in 2021. Sunak became the first British prime minister to visit Hiroshima. Is. World War II atomic bombings.
“It is a privilege for me to visit Tokyo and Hiroshima at this historic moment in the United Kingdom’s relationship with Japan,” the British-Indian leader said.
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“Prime Minister [Fumio] Kishida and I are closely aligned on the importance of protecting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and defending our values, including free and fair trade. With the Hiroshima Agreement, we will enhance cooperation between our armed forces, grow our economies together, and develop our world-leading science and technology expertise. It marks an exciting next phase in the growing UK and Japan partnership,” he said.
The Hiroshima Agreement will include joint work on defense, trade and investment, science and technology cooperation, and tackling global issues such as climate change.
Downing Street said Japan’s “vital role” in the Indo-Pacific makes strong ties with the nation vital to the UK’s security and prosperity.
In Tokyo, Sunak visited a naval base to confirm new UK-Japan defense co-operation, including doubling the number of UK troops in upcoming joint exercises, and agreeing a formal consultation clause, allowing the UK and Japan commits to consult each other on important regional and global security issues. Consider the issues and measures in response.
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Downing Street said the CSG fleet, to be deployed in 2025, will include an aircraft carrier, escorts and aircraft, which will work with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and other regional partners to help protect peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific .
Meanwhile, it was also announced that major Japanese businesses have committed to invest around GBP 18 billion in businesses and projects across the UK.
“These new investments are a great vote of confidence from some of Japan’s top firms in the UK’s dynamic economy. Working with the government and British industry, they will continue to deliver high-quality, reliable jobs and transformative local investment across the country,” Sunak said. are doing.
The British prime minister said the “sky’s the limit” for British and Japanese businesses and entrepreneurs as bilateral trade ties grow, including a comprehensive and progressive agreement involving Japan for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc, which includes the UK was involved. recently.
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According to official statistics, Japan is the UK’s fifth largest investor in Britain with investments of GBP 92 billion, and trade in goods and services was GBP 27.7 billion last year.
New investments announced this week include funding from Japanese trading house Marubeni for offshore wind, low-carbon hydrogen and other clean energy projects.
Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan, two of Japan’s largest real estate companies, confirmed plans to invest in affordable housing, high-quality office space and a life-sciences laboratory in the UK.
While Sumitomo Corporation intends to expand its UK offshore wind projects, Sumitomo Electric Industries has also announced its decision to build a strategically important high-voltage cable manufacturing plant in the Scottish Highlands.
The UK and Japanese governments also unveiled a new renewable energy partnership, which involves creating business partnerships to accelerate the deployment of clean energy.
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