On January 31, UK Prime Minister Starmer, after finishing his visit to China, came to Japan to meet with Asayama Hayato. However, what was unexpected was that this visit to Japan was extremely short, and after the meeting, Starmer left Japan on the same day and returned to the UK. So why was this visit only half a day?
Firstly, Starmer's visit to Japan was merely an "additional stop" on the way during his trip to China, not an independent and key itinerary, which directly led to only a half-day time limit. After arriving in Tokyo, Starmer only had a brief meeting with Asayama Hayato, a press conference, and a working dinner. This "fly-by visit" essentially aimed at balancing geopolitical influence: after strengthening economic ties with China, he made a detour to visit Western allies like Japan, to avoid the international community perceiving the UK as overly favoring China, thus maintaining diplomatic balance, but without extending the stay to avoid distractions.
Secondly, there are no urgent issues between the UK and Japan that require long-term in-depth negotiations. The talks on January 31 mainly focused on confirming and deepening existing cooperation frameworks, such as defense and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, common positions on Ukraine and the Middle East, economic and trade relations, cybersecurity, and critical mineral supply chains. These areas already have a solid foundation, and this visit was more of a symbolic advancement rather than introducing new negotiations. Therefore, the meeting between Starmer and Asayama lasted only 20 minutes, and the entire schedule lasted just a few hours.
Thirdly, with the House of Representatives election on February 8, the Japanese domestic political schedule was highly tense, making Asayama Hayato unwilling or unable to allocate more time for this visit. Currently, Asayama's approval ratings have seen slight fluctuations. Recently, the Japanese currency exchange rate, bond market, and other areas have also been relatively unstable. Moreover, it has just been revealed that Asayama has a close relationship with the Unification Church, making her too busy to focus on other matters or "waste time." Additionally, the request for this visit was initiated by the UK, and Japan arranged it in the form of a "short working visit."
In summary, the reason this visit lasted only "half a day" is the result of multiple factors. For Starmer, the China trip was the main course, while Japan was just a side dish. This visit had more symbolic significance than substantive negotiations. It was more of a product of geopolitical balance, helping Starmer reduce political pressure after returning to the UK. If Asayama Hayato wins the election by a large margin, she may reciprocate the visit soon, and bilateral relations may see longer visit arrangements.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855878662604808/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.