Politics
12:23, 11-Jan-2019
Abe supports May's deal amid Brexit deadlock
Updated
12:25, 14-Jan-2019
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01:31
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to avoid a disorderly Brexit during their meeting in London.
"It is the strong will of Japan to further develop this strong partnership with the UK to invest more into your country and to enjoy further economic growth with the UK. That is why we truly hope that a no-deal Brexit will be avoided, and in fact, that is the whole wish of the whole world," Abe said through a translator at a news conference alongside May.
For the British prime minister, May believed there is a good deal on the table, and for those who want to avoid no-deal, then backing the deal is the thing to do.
03:27
"I believe it's in the national interest, because it's a good deal, and therefore I hope that it will get wide support across the whole of parliament," she added.
Abe has been one of the strongest international supporters of May's Brexit deal since it was struck in November. Investors fear that the world's fifth largest economy could be plunged into a chaotic no-deal Brexit that would severely disrupt supply chains.
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Britain's business minister Greg Clark also said a no-deal Brexit would be a disaster and partners such as Japan need assurance that it will be avoided.
May told reporters that the only way to avoid such a scenario was for lawmakers to support her deal.
Deadlock in Parliament over Brexit facing more uncertainty
The British government will accept a demand by parliament to set out its plan B within three working days if May's deal is rejected next week, Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons said Thursday.
01:59
The Parliament Wednesday voted for an amendment calling on the government to set out its plan B within three working parliamentary days of the January 15 vote, rather than the 21 days specified in Brexit law.
Speaking of May's deal, British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Thursday that Labour would vote against it next week and if parliament voted it down then there should be a national election.
May is still working to achieve more assurances from the European Union on her Brexit deal before the end of a debate in parliament on it, according to her spokesman.
May postponed a planned vote on the deal in December after conceding it was set to be defeated and is now seeking assurances which she hopes will persuade lawmakers to back the agreement when they vote on it on January 15.
(CGTN's Feng Ran, Timothy Ulrich also contributed to the story)
(With input from Reuters)