Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urges Theresa May to avoid no-deal Brexit
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has today asked Prime Minister Theresa May to do what she can to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
Speaking at a bi-lateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, Abe praised May for striking a deal with the EU.
“I would like to once again ask for your support to avoid no deal as well as to ensure transparency, predictability as well as legal stability in the Brexit process,” he said, speaking through a translator.
May told Abe the agreement offered “a good deal for businesses in the UK, including the many Japanese companies who have made significant investment into the UK and who will be able to continue, on the basis of our deal, to trade well with the European Union from the UK”.
Both leaders said they looked forward to working more closely together on trade in the future, including the possibility of Britain joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Japanese corporates have repeatedly warned that a no-deal Brexit could hit the UK’s attractiveness as an overseas investment destination.
Last month the president of Japanese car maker Toyota, Akio Toyoda, said that a no-deal Brexit should be avoided at all costs
"We hope that both the UK and EU governments will continue to make maximum efforts to reach a satisfactory settlement and that a ‘withdrawal without agreement’ is avoided at all costs," he said.