BRITAIN will sign a historic defence and microchip deal with Japan today in a bid to wean us off Chinese tech.
Rishi Sunak hailed the new ‘Hiroshima Accord’ which will see the two nations work more closely together in the Indo Pacific to stand firm against their aggression.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, center right, and his wife Akshata Murty arrive in Japan for the G7 summit
And in a warning shot to China he insisted the G7 would not be pushed by “force or coercion” – amid tensions in Taiwan.
The PM will today announce new £18billion of investment into UK firms with a business reception with Japanese companies.
As Trending In The News revealed on Saturday, the PM will be joined on his first G7 as PM by wife Akshata Murty – on what will be her first international visit by his side.
The deal will see the UK and Japan commit to consult each other on important regional and global security issues like Chinese aggression.
Similar understandings – which is seen as a step before Article 5 NATO commitments – are currently only held between Japan, Australia and the US.
Mr Sunak will visit a naval base this morning to announce that UK troop numbers will be doubled in upcoming joint missions.
And the Carrier Strike Group will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
Ministers will also launch a new semiconductors partnership – with Japan supplying 15 per cent of the world’s vital chips used in phones and computer tech – in a bid to pivot away from China.
The PM said: “The Hiroshima Accord will see us step up cooperation between our armed forces grow our economies together and develop our world-leading science and technology expertise.
“It marks an exciting next phase in the UK and Japan’s flourishing partnership.”
The PM speaks to reporters as he headed to Japan for crunch talks with world leaders
It came as the PM pushed aside concerns about Liz Truss’ Taiwan jaunt – saying he’d been too busy to see her speech.
And he didn’t back the former PM’s push for them to join the CTTP partnership.
The PM insisted that Britain had a “strong and increasing footprint in the security of the Indo Pacific” and the G7 were united in standing firm against Chinese aggression.
He said: “We do not believe in any change in the status quo by force or coercion.
“China is something we will be talking about at this G7 – we put it firmly on the agenda and that was continued.
“Our approach to Taiwan is long-standing and hasn’t changed.”
Liz Truss is visiting Taiwan to show solidarity with the nation there amid Chinese aggression
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