Description
With Japan under Prime Minister Kishida now, unambiguously, having acquired “tier 1 status” as a diplomatic and strategic actor and the United Kingdom reaffirming its Indopacific ambitions following the publication in 2023 of the Integrated Review Refresh, there is considerable evidence that the bilateral partnership between the British and Japanese governments is stronger than ever. Nevertheless, the scale and scope of the security challenges for the two countries are considerable, whether in Europe, the Middle East or East Asia. This paper will consider to what extent the rhetoric of strengthened bilateral cooperation between the UK and Japan is matched by concrete policy initiatives, while also considering the extent to which rising populism and economic constraints may be limiting the two governments aspirations to strengthen their partnership
