Ahead of the G7 conference geared at countering Russia and China, UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come to Tokyo to launch a new defense collaboration with Japan and to lend his backing to private business transactions totaling £18 billion ($22 billion).
In a report by The Guardian, Sunak is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of the conference with global leaders in Hiroshima on Friday, May 19. The said meeting will discuss increased defense cooperation in light of China's rising aggression towards Taiwan.
UK-Japan Ties
UK and Japan have agreed to disclose the Hiroshima Accord, which stipulates that they would consult one another on some military choices and will allow the Carrier Strike Group of the Royal Navy to conduct more drills in the Indo-Pacific.
It is believed that the British prime minister sees Japan as a strategic partner and a nation that shares his enthusiasm for cutting-edge research and development.
As global anxiety rises over Taiwan's dependence on manufacturing in the face of a threat from China, the two nations will talk about the supply of semiconductors. These semiconductors or chips are used in automobiles, smartphones, medical devices, and other gadgets.
Sunak said that Japanese companies, including Toshiba, Sumitomo, and Mitsubishi, would spend £18 billion ($22 billion) on wind farms, real estate, and other projects in the UK.
Along with at least three UK firms, Oxentia, Transreport, and Winnow, he will be representing Octopus Energy, a UK utility provider moving into Japan, and Mott MacDonald, an engineering business advising on offshore wind projects.
Impasse Caused by Brexit
During the defense pact announcement on Thursday, May 18, The Guardian said Sunak was asked if the UK was still a good place to do business after one company said Brexit was a roadblock.
"It's something that car manufacturers across Europe, not just in the UK, have raised as a concern. And as a result of that, we are engaged in a dialogue with the EU about how we might address those concerns when it comes to auto manufacturing more generally," he stated. "I'm going to be meeting the chief executive of Nissan later today ... they've invested a billion pounds in the north-east for electric vehicle manufacturing."
Also Read : G7 Summit Targets China's Economic Coercion; Beijing Displays Military Power Around Japan
The PM's Agendas
Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, are making their first official visit to Japan since he took the prime minister position.
In separate instances, Sunak is scheduled to meet with the president of France, Emmanuel Macon, and the prime leader of India, Narendra Modi.
CNN previously reported that Sunak's journey to Asia for the summit is being cut short due to concerns about the US debt limit. Therefore, they are not anticipating a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden.
Reportedly, Sunak's second top objective will be convincing foreign leaders to increase their support for Ukraine.
