UK, Japan to sign major defence deal
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida sign a new defence deal allowing UK troops to deploy in Japan, as the pair meet in London.
The agreement is the latest sign of London's growing interest in the Asia-Pacific region, and Tokyo's efforts to strengthen its alliances to face the challenges posed by China.
The deal creates a legal basis for the deployment of British and Japanese troops on each others' territory for training and other operations.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office called it "the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century".
"In the past 12 months, we have written the next chapter of the relationship between the UK and Japan -- accelerating, building and deepening our ties," said Sunak.
"This Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant for both our nations -- it cements our commitment to the Indo-Pacific and underlines our joint efforts to bolster economic security."
Negotiations on the deal, to be signed at the historic Tower of London, began in 2021.
Japan last January signed a similar accord with Australia, and Tokyo has recently overhauled its defence and security policy to address growing pressure from China.
Japan holds the G7 presidency this year and Kishida has vowed the group will maintain support for Ukraine, which is expected to be discussed in his talks with Sunak.
