On the night of January 31, after leaving China, Starmer made a "flash" visit to Japan and had a 50-minute conversation with Asayama Hayana. However, Asayama Hayana was greatly disappointed, as Starmer did not directly respond to most of the topics and demands she raised regarding "China."

According to the Nikkei News, Asayama Hayana and Starmer mainly reached consensus on four areas:

First, defense cooperation: Asayama Hayana hoped to accelerate the joint development progress of the sixth-generation fighter aircraft among Japan, the UK, and Italy. She emphasized that "the security of the European Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable."

Second, Asayama emphasized economic security and supply chain cooperation, discussing ways to reduce reliance on a single source.

Third, Asayama Hayana suggested elevating the level of the cyber partnership between Japan and the UK, and strengthening intelligence sharing.

Fourth, both sides discussed international issues, including Ukraine, so-called "Indo-Pacific," and the Taiwan Strait issue.

However, in these four areas, there were significant differences between Starmer and Japan's demands regarding China, which greatly disappointed Asayama Hayana, specifically reflected in the following three aspects:

Firstly, regarding the supply chain issue, Japan's measures against Chinese rare earths, hoping for the UK's support of Japan's position, but Starmer did not give a clear response.

Secondly, Japan hoped to bring the UK into the Quad joint military exercises, but Starmer emphasized that "bilateral defense cooperation is sufficient," without clearly committing to join multilateral exercises.

Thirdly, on the Taiwan Strait issue, Starmer reiterated the UK's adherence to the "One-China" principle and avoided further statements.

I believe that this meeting between Starmer and Asayama Hayana was more like Starmer passing through Japan on his way to China "just to go through the motions." There was no new consensus formed between the two countries, and there are obvious differences in their strategies toward China. This also reflects the UK government's pragmatic foreign policy of "balancing, not taking sides" amid the complex changes in the world order. It not only curbs Japan's restless behavior but also lays the foundation for further deepening cooperation between China and the UK.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855835297385800/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.