The 26th annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group brought together 34 participants from the United Kingdom and Japan in London on March 18–21, 2010. The group engaged in a series of roundtable discussions on domestic and international issues affecting both countries and possible avenues for greater collaboration. They explored topics such as the continuing repercussions of the global economic crisis and the resulting impacts on trade and investment. Participants also exchanged views on global and regional security concerns within the context of a shifting world geopolitical structure, as well as the steps necessary to address the threat of climate change in the wake of the recent Copenhagen climate summit.
Outside of the conference, the Japanese delegation met with a series of leaders from diverse sectors of UK society to further explore the state of relations between the two close allies, including Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
After the close of the meeting, the two chairmen of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group issued a joint statement reflecting on the lessons learned over the course of the forum.
March 17
Dinner
Hosted by Shin Ebihara, Japanese Ambassador to the UK
March 18
Japanese delegation visit to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
March 19
Session I: Latest Developments in Japan & East Asia
Itsunori Onodera, Member of the House of Representatives
Session II: Latest Developments in UK & Europe
Philip Stephens, Associate Editor, Financial Times
March 20
Session III: The Challenges of Recovering from the Global Economic crisis and its Impact on International Trade, Investment, and Financial Flows
Prof. Mark Taylor, Warwick University
Naoki Tanaka, President, Center for International Public Policy Studies
Session IV: The Changing International Geopolitical Structure and its Impact on Global and Regional Security
Hitoshi Tanaka, Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange
Dr. Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House
Session V: The Agenda on Climate Change after the Copenhagen Summit and the Strategies needed in Response
Prof. Lord May, Member of UK government Climate Change Committee and former Chief Scientific Officer
Taizo Yakushiji, Research Counselor, Institute for International Policy Studies
March 21
Session VI: Prospects for UK–Japan Relations and Progress in Developing Bilateral Collaboration
Tadashi Yamamoto, President, Japan Center for International Exchange
Lord Woolmer, House of Lords
JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS | |
TADASHI YAMAMOTO | Acting Chairman, The UK-Japan 21st Century Group; President, Japan Center for International Exchange |
TADASHI ARASHIMA | President & Chief Executive Officer, Toyota Motor Europe; Senior Managing Director, Toyota Motor Corporation |
SHIN EBIHARA | Japanese Ambassador to the UK |
KENICHI MIYATA | Executive Secretary of the Institute of Journalism, The Asahi Shimbun |
YASUHIRO NAGASAKI | Executive Correspondent and Director of General Bureau for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) |
TOMOJI NAKATANI | Member of the House of Councillors (DPJ) |
YOSHIYASU SATO | Member of the House of Representatives (LDP) Former Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs |
GRAHAM SMITH | Executive Advisor to the President and Managing Director, Toyota Motor Europe, London Office |
HITOSHI TANAKA | Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange |
NAOKI TANAKA | President, Center for International Public Policy Studies |
TETSURO TERADA | Executive Vice President, Europe, CIS, Middle East & Africa, Mitsubishi Corporation |
RYUICHIRO TOMITA | Senior Resident in Europe, Multinational Sales & Marketing Product Development Group, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. |
TAIZO YAKUSHIJI | Research Director, Institute for International Policy Studies; Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University |
IKUO YAMAHANA | Member of the House of Representatives (DPJ) |
OBSERVERS | |
SUMIO KUSAKA | Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister and Consul-General, Embassy of Japan |
SHINGO YAMAGAMI | Minister for Political Affairs, Embassy of Japan |
JUN SAITO | Director, Western Europe Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
SECRETARIAT | |
HIFUMI TAJIMA | Senior Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
UK PARTICIPANTS | |
CO-CHAIR | |
LORD CUNNINGHAM | House of Lords |
PARTICIPANTS | |
SIR JOHN BOYD | Chairman, Asia House |
SAMIR BRIKHO | Group Chief Executive, AMEC |
SIMON CHELTON | Vice President, Corporate Development, BAE Systems |
BILL EMMOTT | Writer, Speaker, and Consultant on International Affairs; Former Editor, The Economist |
PROF. GLENN HOOK | Director, Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Sheffield University |
CHARLES HUMFREY | UK Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
PROF. LORD MAY | Professor, Oxford University and Imperial College, Former Chief Scientific Officer and former President of the Royal Society |
SIR RICHARD NEEDHAM | Former Minister for Trade |
DR. ROBIN NIBLETT | Director, Chatham House |
DR. MICHAEL SHEARS | Chairman, Arup Trustees |
SIR JOHN STANLEY | Member of Parliament |
PHILIP STEPHENS | Associate Editor, Financial Times |
MARK TAYLOR | Professor of International Finance and Macroeconomics, Warwick University |
STEVE TAYLOR | Executive Director, Crown Agents |
RICHARD THORNLEY | Regional Director, Japan, Rolls-Royce |
DAVID WARREN | UK Ambassador to Japan |
LORD WOOLMER | House of Lords |
SIR DAVID WRIGHT | Vice Chairman, Barclays Capital |
OBSERVERS | |
CARON ROHSLER | Deputy Head of Far Eastern Group, FCO |
SECRETARIAT | |
LOUISE FORTEY | Bilaterals Coordinator, Asia House |
MELISSA FORTEY | |
