- United kingdom and Japan have signed a new defence agreement.
- The agreement also forms part of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in foreign policy.
- China criticized the move.
Japan and the United Kingdom have signed a “hugely significant” new defence agreement as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks to strengthen security ties with G7 partners in the wake of his country’s largest military buildup since World War II.
Kishida and Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, signed the agreement on Wednesday at the Tower of London, paving the way for the two countries to deploy forces on each other’s soil for training and other operations.
The signing of the reciprocal access defense agreement comes less than a month after the two countries collaborated with Italy on a new fighter jet program.
Kishida was in London as part of a tour of the Group of Seven countries, which includes France, Italy, Canada, and the United States.
Kishida was in London as part of a Group of Seven tours that also included France, Italy, Canada, and the USA.
Japan holds the G7 presidency and Kishida will host the group’s leaders for a summit in Hiroshima in May.
The Japan-UK agreement is the latest example of Tokyo’s efforts to fortify its alliances in the face of China’s “greatest strategic challenge ever” to its security.
The agreement also forms part of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in foreign policy as it builds security and trade ties in the region.
Sunak’s office called Wednesday’s deal with Japan “the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century”.
“This Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant for both of our countries; it cements our commitment to the Indo-Pacific and highlights our joint efforts to strengthen economic security,” Sunak said in a statement.
China, meanwhile, criticized the move, with foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin saying the Asia Pacific region was “not an arena for geopolitical games”. “China was a partner for cooperation and “not a challenge”.
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