Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he’s encouraged by pledges from his U. K. counterpart, Theresa May, after he pressed for a “transparent and predictable” British breakaway from the European Union to reassure Japanese investors.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he’s encouraged by pledges from his U. K. counterpart, Theresa May, after he pressed for a “transparent and predictable” British breakaway from the European Union to reassure Japanese investors.
Abe said he’s “convinced” Britain will remain a “compelling” place for Japanese companies to do business, citing government announcements since the Brexit referendum last year as a sign of their expectations. But he echoed British automaker Aston Martin, which said uncertainty could affect investments.
“It’s extremely important for Brexit to be transparent and predictable. The prime minister gave an encouraging response to this, ” Abe told a news conference after meeting with May in Tokyo on Thursday. “Japanese companies are closely following Prime Minister May’s thinking on Brexit and what consideration she will give to them.”
His comments reflect the concerns of the more than 1,000 Japanese companies that employ about 160,000 people in Britain, including Nissan Motor Co Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. The U. K. government has already given reassurances to the former to keep factories in the country but there needs to be clarity to minimize damage to businesses, Abe said.
While continued access to the European market dominates the concerns of Japanese companies investing in Britain, May sought to reassure them with a promise that a trade deal between the U.
