Japanese PM voices hope Britain can avoid no-deal Brexit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday he hoped Britain would avoid crashing out of the European Union without an agreement, as he threw his support behind the government's contentious Brexit deal days before a vote by MPs.

Flanked by British Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to London, Abe said Japanese businesses "very much welcomed" her draft divorce deal, which a majority of British lawmakers look set to reject in parliament next Tuesday amid fierce opposition.

"We truly hope that a no-deal Brexit will be avoided and in fact that is the... wish of the whole world," the Japanese leader told a Downing Street press conference.

"This draft agreement for transition and legal stability for Japanese businesses is very much welcomed," he added.

The endorsement came as pressure grew on May to rule out a no-deal Brexit if her agreement is rejected by MPs next week.

Business minister Greg Clark broke ranks earlier Thursday to warn that leaving the European Union on March 29 with no agreement in place would be a calamity.

It would be "a disastrous situation in which we move to the most rudimentary terms of trade with our closest partners," he told BBC radio.

However, May reiterated the only way for Britain to avoid leaving without an agreement was to back her plan.

"There is a good deal on the table," she said. "I want to see this deal getting through parliament."
"We truly hope that more investment will be done by Japanese businesses in the United Kingdom."