Bold Boris pledges an ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ trade deal with Japan
BORIS Johnson promised an “allsinging, all-dancing” post-Brexit free trade deal with Japan yesterday.
The Foreign Secretary, speaking in Tokyo, insisted that economic investment attracted by Britain since the vote to leave the EU proved that the UK had a rosy future.
Of the 2,200 investments made in the UK since the June 23 referendum – which he called a “record number” – Mr Johnson singled out two involving Japan.
In July last year, the Japanese firm SoftBank bought ARM, the UK’s largest technology company, for £24billion. ARM’s microchip designs are used in most smartphones and tablet computers, as well as other smart technology.
Opponents of the deal said the Japanese tech giant was capitalising on the pound’s fall after the vote.
But Mr Johnson yesterday said it was “the biggest international investment I think we have seen in our country – perhaps in history”.
And last October carmaker Nissan announced plans to build two new models in Sunderland.
The firm’s commitment to Britain’s largest car plant had been in doubt after the Brexit poll. But it confirmed the Qashqai and X-Trail SUV would be built there after government “support and assurances”. The decision secured 7,000 jobs.
After a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mr Johnson said yesterday: “They see the possibilities of a great new free trade deal between the UK and the EU, and you can see the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
“What they already want to do – post 2019 – is to take that EU-Japan free trade agreement and turn it into a fantastic, all-singing, all dancing, UK-Japan free trade agreement.”
Mr Johnson, on the second day of a three-day visit to Japan, went on to say that Britain stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the country in its efforts to halt North Korea’s testing of nuclear weapons.
As part of the visit he also met Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike.
Before the meeting he recycled a mobile phone to promote Tokyo’s green scheme to turn old handsets into medals for the 2020 Olympics.