Sir Keir Starmer has invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Chequers, but the invitation is contingent on her winning the upcoming election. The Prime Minister met Ms Takaichi on a flying visit to Japan at the end of a four-day trip to China.
Ms Takaichi, who came to power in October last year, faces an election on February 8. Her party, the Liberal Democrats, has held power for all but six of the last 70 years and appears set to return to power. If she wins, she has an invitation to visit the UK and Sir Keir’s official country estate later in 2026.
In a statement after their 20-minute meeting, Sir Keir said: “I look forward to our dinner in a moment, and to the meeting that I hope we will have in Chequers. We share vital interests and principles, but more than that we share an ambition for this partnership which can deliver real benefits for both nations.” He added that Britain and Japan’s response to turbulent global affairs should be “one of strength and clarity”, highlighting “a clear interest in free and predictable trade”.
Ms Takaichi echoed his comments, saying she would discuss “co-operation towards the realisation of a free and open Indo-Pacific” during dinner, as well as Ukraine and the Middle East. She added: “In order to build a new era of Japan–UK relations amid the complex crises facing the international community in the 21st century, I would like to work ever more closely with Prime Minister Keir.” She also said they discussed cybersecurity, bolstering supply chains of critical minerals, and joint work on a new generation of fighter jet planes.
Sir Keir’s visit to Japan concludes a four-day trip to China, where he continued efforts to “reset” the UK’s relationship with Beijing. Travelling with a delegation of over 50 business and cultural leaders, he secured a reduction in tariffs on whisky and visa-free travel to China for British citizens. After a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing agreed to lift sanctions on British parliamentarians.
