Britain announces Indo-Pacific military exercises with US, Japan

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will hold regular joint military exercises in the Indo-Pacific with the United States and Japan from 2025, seeking to boost security in the region, the British Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

“Conducting joint exercises sends a strong message to anyone who would seek to undermine the rules-based international order – our defence relationships are not limited by distance and we stand ready to respond to any threat around the globe,” Defence Minister Grant Shapps said in a statement.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales would be deployed to the region as part of a group carrying out operations and exercises with allies, including a port visit in Japan, the Ministry of Defence said.

Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised a “new era” of U.S.-Japan strategic cooperation.

On Monday, Australia, Britain, and the U.S. said they were considering working with Japan through their AUKUS security pact.

(Reporting by William James; editing by Barbara Lewis)