Britain and Japan sign pact to allow two-way military deployments

'Most significant defence agreement between the 2 countries in a century'

The UK and Japan will allow military forces to be deployed to one another’s territory, as Tokyo expands bilateral cooperation with other US allies amid concerns about China’s rise. 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed a major defense agreement during a meeting Wednesday in London with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The pact — the most significant deal of its type between the two countries in more than a century — allows planning and delivery of larger, more complex military exercises, according to a UK government statement.

Japan’s foreign ministry said, “Signing this important security agreement takes Japan-UK cooperation in security and defense to new heights,” in a statement following the signing. “It will also bring further progress toward making a free and open Indo-Pacific a reality.”

The agreement simplifies the procedures required for port visits and joint exercises, allowing for more active exchanges, the ministry said. 

US-Japan defense plans

The United States and Japan unveiled plans Wednesday to strengthen their alliance to help counter threats from North Korea and China, which they called the greatest security challenge in the region.

In unusually blunt terms, the US and Japanese foreign and defense ministers condemned China’s increasing aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere, called out Russia for its war with Ukraine.