Japan-U.K. ties will go from strength to strength as Britain leaves the EU

On Jan. 31, the United Kingdom left the European Union. What does that mean for the U.K.'s relationship with Japan?

We can expect to see Britain playing an even more active role in the Indo-Pacific region, and Japan will continue to be a particularly important partner. Our two countries share many values: free markets, human rights, rule of law and a commitment to the rules-based international system, which faces increasing challenges. When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the U.K. in January 2019, we issued a joint statement setting out a number of areas for further cooperation.

Already we have seen a significant enhancement of U.K.-Japan security cooperation over the past three years. Last year saw British soldiers undertaking joint exercises on Japanese soil for the first time, and Self-Defense Forces troops exercised in the U.K. too. The historic relationship between the Royal Navy and the Maritime Self-Defense Force is flourishing to levels not seen since the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902, and six British naval ships have joined Japanese vessels for exercises, including enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea.