UK PM Sunak thanks G7 host Kishida for hospitality in Japan

Hiroshima [Japan], May 21 : UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday thanked Japan's counterpart Fumio Kishida for hosting him during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima and shared pictures of the leaders who participated in the Summit.

"At this historic summit, #G7 leaders recommitted ourselves to the path of peace, freedom and democracy. Thank you for your hospitality @kishida230 and Mrs Kishida," he tweeted.

Notably, Sunak signed a new deal on defence cooperation with Japan as he met Japan's PM Fumio Kishida ahead of the G7 summit on Friday.

"The Prime Minister described the UK and Japan as 'islands of innovation', as the leaders discussed the huge opportunities to grow bilateral trade and investment, as well as UK-Japan cooperation on semiconductors and clean energy technology like floating offshore wind," read Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street press release.

Semiconductors are used in everything from iPhones to missiles, but the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the world's reliance on Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers. The threat of war in Taiwan, home to TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor company, has made Western governments even more desperate to shore up their supply chains.

Both leaders welcomed the agreement of The Hiroshima Accord: An Enhanced UK-Japan Global Strategic Partnership as a landmark moment in a thriving diplomatic, defence and economic relationship.

"They agreed that the UK and Japan would continue to work together closely to protect a free and open international order, building on the Global Combat Air Programme and recent Reciprocal Access Agreement," added the press release.

Sunak also confirmed that the UK Carrier Strike Group will deploy to the region again in 2025, working alongside the Japanese Maritime Defence Forces. They also discussed further potential cooperation on training and exercising.

Sunak described the UK and Japan as 'islands of innovation', as the leaders discussed the huge opportunities to grow bilateral trade and investment.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Kishida agreed on the importance of the G7 having a unified approach on China, recognising the systemic challenge China poses to our collective economic security and regional stability, added the release.

They also discussed the situation in Ukraine, including continued military support to counter Russia's unprovoked invasion and longer-term assistance to help Ukraine recover and defend against future threats.

They agreed that the G7 should continue to lead international work on holding Russia to account for its actions and supporting Ukraine to achieve a just and lasting peace, added the release.

Sunak is the first British leader to visit Prime Minister Kishida's hometown of Hiroshima.