Prime Minister to unveil new accord and bolster military and cyber partnerships.
rime Minister Rishi Sunak is in Tokyo to announce a major new agreement with Japan aimed at deepening defence, security, and cyber cooperation between the two nations. This agreement comes amid growing concerns over China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The agreement, known as the “Hiroshima Accord,” will be formally signed by Sunak and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. It will see the UK commit to deploying its naval Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific region in 2025. The group, which includes an aircraft carrier and fighter jets, will collaborate with Japan’s military and other allied forces to help ensure peace and stability in the region.
In addition to military cooperation, the UK and Japan will launch a semiconductor partnership designed to reduce dependency on China for essential microchips, with the goal of strengthening global supply chains. The two countries will also announce a new cyber partnership to enhance their ability to counter cyber threats.
As part of the agreement, the UK and Japan will ramp up joint military exercises, with the largest-ever “Vigilant Isles” exercise scheduled later this year, involving approximately 170 UK personnel. They will also engage in closer consultations on global security matters.
At the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Sunak will work with leaders like US President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and India’s Narendra Modi, focusing on economic security, the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and countering threats from authoritarian states like China. While there will be no bilateral meeting with Biden, the Prime Minister will participate in broader discussions about global security.
This visit to Japan also comes amid political challenges back home in the UK, with Sunak facing infighting within the Conservative Party following significant losses in local elections. He will take the opportunity to meet with key business leaders in Tokyo, including executives from companies like Toshiba, Nissan, and Hitachi.
Sunak’s spokesman emphasized that the visit is crucial for strengthening the UK-Japan relationship and for demonstrating a unified stance against global threats, particularly those posed by autocratic regimes.
