PM meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida: 20 September 2022

The Prime Minister met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

Prime Minister Kishida expressed his condolences on the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. The Prime Minister thanked him for his words and said it was a great honour for the UK to receive Their Imperial Highnesses at the state funeral.

Prime Minister Kishida welcomed the UK’s commitment to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, as exemplified by our Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN, AUKUS and our application to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Kishida for his support for the UK’s application.

The leaders looked forward to expanding the UK-Japan relationship, both if the UK joins the CPTPP and through investments in our shared defence and security such as the Future Combat Air System programme.

The Prime Minister expressed her admiration for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic doctrine and outlined her plans for transforming the British economy to boost economic growth. The leaders agreed to work together to strengthen our shared economic and energy security.

“The Prime Minister condemned China’s recent provocations over Taiwan, which threatened Japan’s Special Economic Zone. The leaders resolved to work together to tackle the strategic threat posed by China.

“The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Kishida agreed on the importance of likeminded democracies working together, including through international institutions like the G7, to constrain economic, security and other threats from authoritarian regimes.”