In January, British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond visited Japan to meet with their Japanese counterparts. Following the meeting, both sides agreed to explore ways to deepen and expand their security cooperation. In an email interview, Edward Schwarck, a research fellow in Asia studies and manager of the Asia Program at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, discusses the U.K.’s security ties with Asia.
WPR: Who are the U.K.’s main security partners in Asia, and how extensive are their security ties?
Edward Schwarck: As has been stated on many occasions by British ministers, the U.K. sees Japan as its vested partner in the region, and it distinguishes clearly between the quality of its relationship with Japan and other countries in the region, including China.