Japan will continue to boost relations with Britain under its new administration following the opposition Labour Party's landslide victory in a general election, the top government spokesman said Friday.
"Japan and Britain are important partners sharing values and principles. We will further promote the bilateral relationship with the new administration," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference.
Hayashi also said Tokyo is willing to work together with London in dealing with global challenges such as Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine and realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision advocated by Japan in a veiled bid to counter China.
With the Labour Party securing a majority in the House of Commons after Thursday's election, its leader Keir Starmer became British prime minister, succeeding Rishi Sunak and ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule.
During that time, Japan and Britain stepped up their security ties in response to the increasingly complex geopolitical environment, notably influenced in recent years by Russia's aggression in Ukraine and China's intensifying military activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The two nations also rolled out a project with Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a separate news conference that the importance of the trilateral fighter jet plan "will remain unchanged."
© KYODO
8 Comments
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sakurasuki
Japan always try to strengthen ties with its allies, no matter political view those ally.
Yrral
Japanese leader do not know their places in the world orders,the Labour do not want any relationship with right wing Japanese politicians,that why they just defeated the tories
englisc aspyrgend
Worryingly the Labour Party tends to be myopically Euro centric and will pull the plug on anything out side of that. Don’t be surprised when they downgrade or cancel virtually everything in the Indo-Pacific area.
kurisupisu
UK politicians, just as their counterparts in Japan need to focus on their own domestic problems before looking outside their own borders
Jimizo
Well, it is possible to do both.
In the UK, we have governmental jobs like ‘Home secretary’ and ‘Foreign secretary’. Other countries have something similar.
Even on a household level, I sometimes do the garden while my partner cleans the kitchen or living room.
Works a treat.
falseflagsteve
Kuri
UK has been negotiating and making trade deals with Japan the last few years. The deals are to be benefit both countries.
Pukey2
I'm sure things will continue as before. The devil just changed its mask. This mask also has a habit of lying and back-tracking, so it's the same old same old.
Pukey2
englisc:
The Labour Party was never the same when Blair was pushed into the limelight by Rupert Murdoch. What we now have in the UK is akin to US politics - a uniparty where lobbyists (especially weapons manufacturers), elites and the politicians and their circles come first, and the citizens last.