LONDON — This is a speech delivered by David Howell, minister of state in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to the Japan Society of London on Nov. 18. Before being appointed to his current post, Howell was a regular contributor to The Japan Times.

While the focus these days is understandably on China and its huge and growing market, we should never overlook the fact that Britain's best and strongest friend in East Asia is, and has long been, Japan.

Here is a nation, which, despite present difficulties — which we all face — is one of the richest and most innovative in the world, which has strong democratic values, a determination to act with complete responsibility on the global stage and, except for the dark period of militarism in the 1930s and '40s, has always been extremely pro-British.