UK and Japan set to agree ‘landmark’ new defence agreement

British and Japanese forces will work together on training, joint exercises and disaster relief activities

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson attend a bilateral meeting during a Nato summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday March 24, 2022 to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. APShow less

Boris Johnson will host the Japanese prime minister in London on Thursday when the two are set to sign a “landmark” defence agreement.

Fumio Kishida’s first official visit at the invitation of the government is due to be marked with a guard of honour and a military flypast over central London.

Downing Street said the leaders were expected to agree in principle a “landmark” reciprocal access agreement, which would allow Japanese and British forces to carry out training, joint exercises and disaster relief together.

As “two great island democracies” and the third and fifth-largest economies in the world, Japan and the UK “are focused on driving growth, creating highly skilled jobs and ensuring we remain technology superpowers,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“The visit of Prime Minister Kishida will accelerate our close defence relationship and build on our trade partnership to boost major infrastructure projects across the country, supporting our levelling up agenda.”

Talks on deepening the UK-Japan defence relationship began in September last year.

Downing Street said the agreement would boost Britain’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, support global peace and security, and build on the already close collaboration on defence and security technology between both countries.

It follows the government’s defence and foreign policy integrated review, published last year, which announced a “tilt” towards the Indo-Pacific.

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, during a news conference following his meeting with Mario Draghi, Italy's prime minister, at the Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Bloomberg

In September, Australia, the UK and the US signed up to the Aukus pact to develop nuclear-powered submarines for Canberra to increase joint naval activity in the region.

The British government describes Japan as its closest security partner in Asia.

It says the island nation has only two other bilateral visiting forces agreements, one with the US and the RAA signed with Australia in January.

The two G7 leaders are also expected to discuss Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and how to exert pressure on President Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Conservative former minister Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells, near London, is also set to be announced as London’s new trade envoy to Japan.

In addition, Mr Johnson and Mr Kishida are due to agree closer collaboration as part of the UK’s clean green initiative.

Downing Street said it would allow the UK and Japan to work together to support countries in Asia to develop renewables and help provide alternative supplies to Russian oil and gas.

Japan is chair of the UK accession working group to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The UK applied to join the free-trade area in January last year.

The flypast is expected to take place at about 11.10am and include two Typhoon fighter jets and the RAF Voyager Vespina.

The RAF Voyager drew public attention in 2020 when it was resprayed with the colours of the Union Jack flag at a cost of nearly £1 million.

During the meeting at Downing Street, the two leaders are also expected to tuck into some food from the Fukushima region, including Japanese popcorn.

The government said it would symbolise the lifting of remaining restrictions on food products from the Japanese region after the nuclear disaster there in 2011.