Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Jan. 12 to discuss expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as well as their approach to the increasing military assertiveness of the Chinese communist regime in the Indo-Pacific region.
Part of Kishida’s tour of G-7 nations, the visit was his first to Canada as Japan’s head of government.
Trudeau said at a joint press conference that Canada would host a business delegation from Japan this spring to discuss investment opportunities in the battery and mining industries. Canada also plans to send a trade delegation to Japan in October.
China Concerns
During the meeting, Kishida and Trudeau agreed on the importance of “a coordinated approach” to security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, citing growing concerns over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military assertiveness.Both sides also reaffirmed their support for a complete and irreversible dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Trudeau hailed Japan’s new National Security Strategy, which refers to China as Japan’s “greatest challenge” and calls for the possession of counterstrike capabilities.
Japan-Britain Defense Pact
The pact is part of the UK’s defense and foreign policy “tilt” toward the Indo-Pacific region, following an integrated review in 2021 that recognized the growing impact of China in the area.
The signing comes just weeks after the UK and Japan collaborated, along with Italy, to develop the next generation of combat air fighter jets under the new Global Combat Air Program.
“The relationship between our two countries is stronger than ever, not just across trade and security but also our values,” Sunak said in welcoming Kishida to the Tower of London, where the agreement was signed.
He said the Reciprocal Access Agreement is “hugely significant” for both nations, as “it cements our commitment to the Indo-Pacific and underlines our joint efforts to bolster economic security, accelerate our defense cooperation, and drive innovation that creates highly skilled jobs.”