Japan-United Kingdom Relations
Japan-UK Summit Meeting
June 11, 2021
Japan-U.K. summit meeting (1)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Japan-U.K. summit meeting (2)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
On June 11, commencing at 11:50 a.m. (local time; 7:50 p.m. JST) for approximately 35 minutes, Mr. SUGA Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan, who is visiting the United Kingdom to attend the G7 Summit in Cornwall, held a summit meeting with The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Prime Minister Suga paid homage to the leadership of Prime Minister Johnson as the G7 President in organizing the first face-to-face G7 summit in two years. Prime Minister Suga stated that he would like to cooperate in forming an international order to resolve current issues such as COVID-19 and climate change. In response, Prime Minister Johnson stated that he shared the same view.
- Prime Minister Suga stated that he welcomed the deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific region and its port call in Japan. The two leaders shared the view to accelerate coordination of bilateral and multilateral joint exercises. The two leaders also affirmed cooperation in the field of economic security.
- Prime Minister Suga welcomed the TPP Commission’s decision to begin negotiations with the UK to accede to the TPP11 Agreement, and Prime Minister Johnson expressed his gratitude for Japan's role as the chair of the TPP Commission. In addition, Prime Minister Suga mentioned that this year marked a decade since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and requested that the UK lift import restrictions on Japanese food products. Prime Minister Johnson responded that he would like to give the idea serious consideration.
- The two leaders also shared the view to promote cooperation between Japan and the UK towards the implementation of an international order based on the "rule of law" including in the Indo-Pacific, as well as in various fields including countermeasures against loneliness.
- The two leaders exchanged their views on the situation in East Asia, including China. They confirmed that they would continue to cooperate in dealing with North Korea, including on the abductions issue.
- Prime Minister Johnson stated that he was confident of the success of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, referring to his experiences as Mayor of London. He also announced the UK’s participation in the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.