Britain and Japan have agreed to strengthen defence and economic ties, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday, following his visit to China that drew warnings from US President Donald Trump.
Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, Starmer said, “We set out a clear priority to build an even deeper partnership in the years to come. That includes working together to strengthen our collective security, across the Euro-Atlantic and in the Indo-Pacific.”
Takaichi said the two leaders agreed to hold a meeting of British and Japanese foreign and defence ministers later this year.
She also noted plans to discuss cooperation on a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and the situation in Ukraine during a dinner with Starmer.
Starmer’s Tokyo stop followed a four-day visit to China, where he met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Both sides emphasised the need for closer ties, and Starmer signed agreements including a visa-free travel arrangement for British visitors to China for stays under 30 days, though no start date has been announced.
During talks in Tokyo, Takaichi said both countries agreed on the urgency of strengthening supply chains, including critical minerals, amid concerns that Beijing could restrict exports of rare earths vital for technologies ranging from electric vehicles to missiles.
China, the world’s leading producer, announced new export controls on these minerals and associated technologies in October.
Starmer noted that Britain and Japan, along with Italy, are also co-developing a new fighter jet, reflecting Tokyo’s shift from reliance on US military hardware.
The visit underscores a broader effort by Western powers to balance relations with China, following President Trump’s warnings that close engagement with Beijing could be “very dangerous” for allies like Britain.
Tokyo’s relations with Beijing have also cooled since November, when Takaichi suggested Japan could consider military intervention if Taiwan were attacked.
