Japan, Britain to hold high-level economic security talks

LONDON

China had been expected to loom large at high-level economic security talks between Britain and Japan on March 7, until U.S. tariffs reared their head.

Japan is the world's fourth largest economy, and Britain the sixth. Both are U.S. allies, but that factor is not likely to exempt them from President Donald Trump's sweeping levies on major trading partners.

Joint talks between the countries' foreign and trade ministers in Tokyo this week have been touted as a chance to promote free trade and strengthen business ties in sectors from tech and defence to renewable energy.

"Economic growth and future prosperity depend upon strong security foundations, a reliable trading system, resilient supply chains, energy security, and an economy resilient to shocks," the U.K. Foreign Office said in a statement.

Similar language was previously used by the United States and its Group of Seven allies, including Japan and Britain, to indirectly refer to economic coercion by Beijing.

The ministers' strategic discussions may have a broader scope, after Trump's tariffs kicked in this week.

"In the current global context, any effort to increase coordination and collaboration, especially among key partners like the U.K. and Japan, is highly welcomed," said Francesca Ghiretti, research leader in economic security and China at RAND Europe.

"Because of the service-based nature of the U.K. economy and little internal manufacturing, the U.K. should be more aware of the vulnerabilities of and potential disruptions to global supply chains," Ghiretti told AFP.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will be in Japan with a business delegation seeking to boost investment and cooperation with Japanese companies.