The 28th annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group was convened in London on May 19–22, 2011. Thirty-two senior Japanese and British figures attended the meeting, where they discussed areas for potential greater collaboration between Japan and the United Kingdom, such as emerging global political and security issues as well as the challenges faced by both countries in responding to fiscal pressures and competition from the emerging economies. The devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 and the international ramifications of the disaster also featured heavily in the discussions. The Japanese delegation had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron, and their discussions further stressed the importance of reinvigorating UK-Japan relations to meet the challenges of the Japanese disaster and other international challenges.
Outside of the meeting’s formal sessions, the Japanese participants spoke to several leaders from the British government to continue the dialogue on opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in various areas, including Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills Vince Cable and Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt.
Following the forum, a joint statement was issued detailing the findings and recommendations of the participants.
May 19
Japanese delegation meeting with the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Reception
May 20
Breakfast Meeting
VINCE CABLE, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills
JEREMY HUNT, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport
Session I: Latest Developments in the UK and Europe
PHILIP STEPHENS, Associate Editor, Financial Times
Session II: Latest Developments in Japan and East Asia
TAIZO YAKUSHIJI, Research Counselor, Institute for International Policy Studies
May 21
Session II continued: The Japanese Tsunami and its Consequences
Session III: How Well Are the West and Japan Responding to the New Global Political and Security Challenges?
HITOSHI TANAKA, Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; Chairman, Institute for International Strategy (IIS), Japan Research Institute, Ltd.
CHRIS HUGHES, Professor of International Politics and Japanese Studies, Warwick University
Session IV: Challenges for British and Japanese Economic Policy in Coping with Fiscal Pressures and Competition from the Emerging Economies
BILL EMMOTT, Writer and consultant on international affairs
NAOKI TANAKA, President, Center for International Public Policy Studies
May 22
Session V: Prospects for UK–Japan Relations and Progress in Developing Bilateral Collaboration
LORD TEVERSON, House of Lords (Liberal Democratic Party)
YUICHI HOSOYA, Professor, Keio University
JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS | |
PARTICIPANTS | |
KEIICHI HAYASHI | Japanese Ambassador to the UK |
YUICHI HOSOYA | Professor, Keio University |
SEIJI MAEHARA | Member of the House of Representatives (DPJ); Former Minister for Foreign Affairs |
KENICHI MIYATA | Senior Adviser to the Director of the Customer Division, The Asahi Shimbun |
MAMI MIZUTORI | Executive Director, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures |
TOMOJI NAKATANI | Member, House of Councillors (DPJ) |
GRAHAM SMITH | Executive Advisor to the President, Managing Director, London Office, Toyota Motor Europe |
YASUO TANABE | Vice President and Executive Officer, Hitachi, Ltd. |
HITOSHI TANAKA | Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; Chairman of the Institute for International Strategy (IIS), Japan Research Institute, Ltd.; Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs |
NAOKI TANAKA | President, Center for International Public Policy Studies |
TETSURO TERADA | Executive Vice President, Regional CEO, Europe—CIS, Middle East & Africa, Mitsubishi Corporation; Managing Director, Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) PLC; Chairman, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK (JCCI) |
TAIZO YAKUSHIJI | Research Counselor, Institute for International Policy Studies; Professor of Emeritus of Keio University, Visiting Professor of National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Professor Emeritus, Keio University |
TADASHI YAMAMOTO | President, Japan Center for International Exchange; Japanese Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
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UK PARTICIPANTS | |
CO-CHAIR | |
LORD HOWARD | House of Lords (Conservative Party) |
PARTICIPANTS | |
SIR JOHN BOYD | Chairman, Asia House |
SAMIR BRIKHO | Group Chief Executive, AMEC |
LORELY BURT | Member of Parliament (Liberal Democrat Party) |
SIMON CHELTON | Vice President, Corporate Relations, North East Asia, BAE Systems |
BILL EMMOTT | Writer and Consultant on international affairs |
PROFESSOR GLENN HOOK | Director, Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Sheffield University |
CHRISTOPHER HUGHES | Professor of International Politics and Japanese Studies, Warwick University |
CHARLES HUMFREY | UK Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
MARGOT JAMES | Member of Parliament (Conservative party) |
LORD MCCONNELL | House of Lords (Scottish Labour Party) |
SIR RICHARD NEEDHAM | Former Minister of Trade |
YASMIN QURESHI | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) |
PHILIP STEPHENS | Associate Editor, Financial Times |
PROF MARK TAYLOR | Dean, Warwick Business School |
STEVE TAYLOR | Executive Director, Crown Agents |
LORD TEVERSON | House of Lords (Liberal Democratic Party) |
RICHARD THORNLEY | President, Rolls-Royce plc in Japan |
DAVID WARREN | UK Ambassador to Japan |
