Trade minister Douglas Alexander will promote the UK as an economic partner during a visit to Japan and South Korea, starting on Thursday.
In Japan, he will deliver a speech at the Pacific Future Forum, declaring that the UK is open for business and can be an indispensable partner in upholding global order.
He will also join Defence Secretary John Healey onboard aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales to mark the deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group – which consists of Royal Navy warships, submarines and aircraft.
Trade with Japan supports sectors like engineering, retail, pharmaceutical and life sciences, with Japanese companies providing more than 150,000 British jobs.
In South Korea, Mr Alexander will meet with Korean trade minister Yeo Han-Koo to work on the UK-South Korea free trade agreement, and will affirm the aim to conclude negotiations this year.
A free trade agreement with South Korea could aid sectors such as financial services, legal services and health, while helping British companies such as Diageo expand in Korea.
The minister will also meet with the CEOs of LG AI Lab to discuss a recently signed partnership with the London Stock Exchange Group.
Mr Alexander said: “Today’s world is one where barriers to trade are going up and geopolitical divides are deepening, resulting in higher costs for consumers and practical challenges for businesses.
“Our new Trade and Industrial Strategies, based on a sense of pragmatic patriotism, provides the compass by which we will navigate today’s storms.
“From the deck of HMS Prince of Wales to the negotiating table in Seoul, the UK is forging durable economic partnerships which will help put more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change.”
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