New Year's greetings
1 January 2024
Date：2024/01/01(Mon)
Please accept my warmest wishes for the new year, together with my thanks to all of our members for their continued support of the British Market Council (BMC).
This year began tragically with the Noto Peninsula Earthquake of 2024 on New Year's Day. We would like to express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the earthquake and our heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by the disaster. We pay tribute to the efforts of all those involved in carrying out life-saving rescue operations, searching for those who are missing or unaccounted for, and providing assistance to those affected by the disaster. We sincerely wish for the earliest possible reconstruction and rebuilding of the affected areas and for all those affected to return to their normal lives.
Last year was the 50th anniversary of the BMC, and in September we held a 50th anniversary party at the residence of the British Ambassador to Japan, which was attended by many members and related parties. In November, the BMC sent its third mission to the UK. The theme was cleantech, as heat and disasters, which are thought to be caused by climate change, have become more apparent recently, and more attention is being paid to tackling global warming. The aim was to observe the UK's efforts to promote renewable energy and hydrogen use, and to learn about the innovative clean technology initiatives of related businesses and start-ups, in order to link them to future business opportunities for member companies. A busy schedule of visits to London, Liverpool and Aberdeen in one week was attended by 34 participants from member company groups. We would also like to thank Mr Umair Choudhry, Counsellor, Energy and Infrastructure, British Embassy in Tokyo, Ms Reiko Tanaka, Deputy Head, Energy and Infrastructure, and Ms Sayoko Tosaka, Senior Inward Investment Executive, Scottish Development International, for their participation from Tokyo, and the British Department for Business and Trade, British Embassy in Tokyo and Scottish Development International, and all involved for their cooperation in the programme planning and various local arrangements.
Last year was also a year in which the UK Japan relations developed to a higher level. On the occasion of the May G7 Hiroshima Summit, British Prime Minister Rishi Snake and Prime Minister Kishida issued the UK-Japan Hiroshima Accord, which includes the creation of a ministerial meeting between the UK and Japan in the economic field, the use of the UK-Japan EPA to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, strengthening cooperation in areas such as decarbonisation and trade digitisation, and securing robust and sustainable access to critical mineral resources. On 16 July, the UK signed a protocol on joining the CPTPP, raising hopes for stronger UK-Japan third country cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. In October, Kemi Badenoch, UK Minister for Business and Trade, visited Japan and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the raw critical minerals between the UK and Japan under the UK-Japan Strategic Economic Policy and Trade Dialogue.
We are confident that 2024 will be another year in which this trend will continue and the UK-Japan relations will continue to develop. With the UK's membership of the CPTPP we expect to increase business opportunities for third-country cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, UK companies, including many start-ups, are considering expansion into Japan and Asia. The partnership between the UK and Japan has expanded into strategic areas such as carbon neutrality, nuclear, digital and critical minerals with the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region in recent years. The BMC has also covered topics such as UK-Japan cooperation in the field of AI/quantum computing, cooperation in the nuclear industry and third-country cooperation, and supported the related events and organized seminars last year. This year, the BMC will continue its efforts to assist its member companies by creating various events, seminars and networking opportunities to ensure that the relationship between the UK and Japan continues to grow significantly. This year is the Year of the Dragon, the year in which all things grow and take shape. Past Dragon years have seen the start of many major projects, including the hosting of the Tokyo Olympics, the first in Asia, the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the completion of the Seikan Tunnel, Tokyo Dome and the Great Seto Bridge, and the opening of the Tokyo Sky Tree. We would like to wish all our member companies and stakeholders a year of great development and success in their efforts to date.
We would like to thank our members for their further understanding, support and encouragement in the year ahead.
Yoshihisa Suzuki
Chairman, the British Market Council
