At a meeting in London on January 11, the British and Japanese prime ministers signed a new defense agreement that the British government considers essential, allowing the deployment of British troops in Japan.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his guest, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, signed the agreement at the Tower of London.
The agreement is a sign of Britain’s growing focus on the Asia-Pacific region and Japan’s desire to strengthen ties with its allies in response to the challenges posed by China. go out.
The agreement creates a legal basis for the two countries to send their armies to each other for training and other cooperation.
The Prime Minister’s office hailed the agreement as the most important defense agreement between Britain and Japan in more than a century. “This reciprocal access agreement is extremely important to both countries as it deepens their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and underlines their economic and security efforts. their common security,” Prime Minister Sunak said. Negotiations for the deal begin in 2021.
Japan signed a similar agreement with Australia in January last year. Japan has recently changed its defense and security policy in response to growing pressure from China.
The Japanese government last month approved an overhaul of defense policy, including a sharp increase in defense spending, and warned that China was the biggest strategic challenge to its security. . Under the deal, British and Japanese warships and aircraft will be able to visit each other, but there will be diplomatic complications and each will require approval from the Foreign Office. A permanent framework will also be included in the agreement.
