Tokyo/ London – Japan and the United Kingdom have struck the historic ‘Hiroshima Accord’ to challenge China’s hegemony by strengthening cooperation in the fields of defence, finance and technology. The announcement was made during the meeting of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak. The British Prime Minister highlighted this agreement’s importance by saying it is part of the diplomatic and strategic partnership between the two countries. At the same time, Prime Minister Sunak also announced that the British aircraft carrier and ‘Carrier Strike Group’ will visit the Indo-Pacific region again in 2025.
In the last decade, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron referred to the British-Chinese relationship as a golden age and took steps to strengthen the relationship with China. But bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and China have deteriorated in the last few years. The tension between the two countries continuously increases due to many issues like Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Uyghur dynasty, the 5G, and the Corona crisis. The former British Prime Minister had recently made an aggressive demand to declare China a threat to British security.
Moreover, given the background of this tension with China, the United Kingdom has taken steps to strengthen its partnership with other countries in Asia, and Japan is the leading country in it. Over the last year, there have been constant discussions between the senior officials and leaders of Japan and the United Kingdom to increase cooperation. The ‘Hiroshima Accord’ announced on Thursday is considered its result.
Furthermore, three points have been prioritised in the ‘Hiroshima Accord’. The security of the ‘Euro-Atlantic’ and ‘Indo-Pacific’ areas is an important issue, and for this, the defence cooperation between the two countries will be increased. Economic cooperation will be strengthened, considering the contribution of stability and economic prosperity to security. For this, emphasis will be placed on the energy and technology sectors. The agreement also expressed the determination to face various challenges at the international level jointly. The British government said the deal was part of ongoing efforts to curb China’s growing dominance.
Key tags: Hiroshima Accord, United Kingdom, Japan, Rishi Sunak, Fumio Kishida, Indo-Pacific, Bilateral Relations, Strategic Cooperation, Chinese threat
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