The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, will sign a significant defence agreement at the Tower of London on January 11th. This agreement allows for UK forces to be deployed in Japan and Japanese forces to be deployed in the UK, marking the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in over a century.
The agreement, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement, was agreed upon in principle in May and has been under negotiation for years. It will quickly accelerate defence and security cooperation between the two countries and allow for larger scale, more complex military exercises and deployments. The UK will be the first European country to have a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, making it the most important defence treaty between the UK and Japan since 1902. The defence treaty will be presented to Japan’s Diet and the UK Parliament in the coming weeks.
This signing comes just weeks after the UK and Japan collaborated with Italy to develop the next generation of combat air fighter jets under the Global Combat Air Programme. In addition, the UK and Japan launched a digital partnership to strengthen cooperation in areas such as cyber resilience, online safety and semiconductors. These agreements demonstrate the UK's commitment to ensuring the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and the strength of the friendship between the UK and Japan.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stated that the Reciprocal Access Agreement is a significant achievement for both countries as it cements their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, accelerates defence cooperation and drives innovation that creates skilled jobs. Furthermore, in light of the increasing competition in the world, it is vital that democratic societies continue to stand together and address the global challenges of the time.
During the meeting, leaders are expected to discuss trade, including the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is a free trade bloc with a combined GDP of £9 trillion and home to over 500 million people. Also, the leaders will discuss Japan's presidency of the G7, the need to maintain support for Ukraine, and the UK's support for Prime Minister Kishida's focus on economic security, including supply chain resilience.
In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to raise how international support from the UK and G7 partners can be used most strategically to help Ukrainian forces continue their progress on the battlefield and secure a lasting peace. Furthermore, he will pay tribute to Japan’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, which includes a recent delivery of generators.
While at the Tower of London, the leaders will visit Japanese armour on display, which was presented to King James VI and I in 1613 by Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada of Japan. The military gift was given to King James to mark the first-ever trade agreement between England and Japan. On Thursday, the Prime Minister will host the UK-Japan 21st Century Group at Downing Street, which is a coalition of British and Japanese private sector, public sector and civil society leaders who aim to promote dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
