UK PM Rishi Sunak clinches Hiroshima Accord on Japan visit
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived in Japan on Thursday for the G7 Summit, on the sidelines of which he clinched a new so-called “Hiroshima Accord” for greater UK-Japan economic, security and technology collaboration.
This new UK-Japan global strategic partnership is being seen as a counterbalance to Chinese dominance in the region and also includes a Semiconductors Partnership to pursue “ambitious” R&D cooperation and skills exchange to bolster supply chain resilience in the key sector.
The UK also confirmed that its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) warship will return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025, following a maiden voyage to the region including India in 2021, as Sunak became the first British Prime Minister to visit Hiroshima – the site of the Second World War atomic bombing.
“It is a privilege to be visiting Tokyo and Hiroshima at this historic moment in the United Kingdom’s relationship with Japan,” the British-Indian leader said.
“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. The Hiroshima Accord will see us step up 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 UK and Japan’s flourishing partnership,” he said.
The Hiroshima Accord will cover agreements on defence, trade and investment, science and technology collaboration, and joint work on tackling global issues like climate change.
Downing Street said Japan’s “pivotal role” in the Indo-Pacific makes strong relations with the nation central to the UK’s security and prosperity.
