UK, Japan to deepen defense and security tiesAFP, TOKYOThe UK and Japan agreed to deepen defense and economic ties, visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands after their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo yesterday. Trump said it was “very dangerous” for its close ally to be dealing with China, although Starmer brushed off those comments. Tokyo’s ties with Beijing have deteriorated since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily during a potential attack on Taiwan. The UK, Japan and Italy are also developing a new fighter jet after Tokyo relied for decades on the US for military hardware.

Source: Taipei Times January 31, 2026 17:14 UTC