Japan and Britain have agreed to expand cooperation on cybersecurity and critical mineral supply chains, framing the move as a strategic response to intensifying geopolitical, economic, and technological pressures. The British and Japanese cybersecurity strategy and agreement were confirmed during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s overnight visit to Tokyo, where leaders from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to collective security and economic resilience.
At a joint news conference in Tokyo, Starmer said the timing of his visit was shaped by mounting global instability. “Geopolitical, economic, and technological shocks are literally shaking the world,” he said, adding that he and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had agreed to strengthen collective security across the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific. Central to those efforts is the launch of a new cyber strategic partnership intended “to improve our cybersecurity to protect our economy,” placing cybersecurity in Japan and in the UK at the core of bilateral cooperation.
Starmer’s Tokyo stop came immediately after he visited Beijing, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to seek a long-term, stable “strategic partnership.”
Britain and Japanese Cybersecurity Strategy Also Includes Minerals and Supply Chain Resilience
Alongside British and Japanese cybersecurity strategies, leaders from both nations focused on the strategic importance of critical minerals, which are essential for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies, and defense systems. Prime Minister Takaichi pointed to growing concerns over global export restrictions, stressing the urgency of cooperation among trusted partners. “We agreed that the like-minded countries must work together” to strengthen supply chain resilience, she said.
Britain’s and Japan’s cybersecurity strategy also includes securing access to critical minerals and has become a national security issue as much as an economic one. Disruptions to supply chains could affect everything from digital infrastructure to defense readiness, making cooperation between Tokyo and London a key pillar of broader economic resilience.
The bilateral discussions took place as Japan faces heightened tensions with China, particularly after comments by Takaichi regarding possible Japanese involvement if China were to take military action against Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing. These tensions have added urgency to Japan and Britain’s efforts to diversify supply chains and reinforce strategic partnerships.
Wider Security Alignments Across Europe and the Indo-Pacific
Tokyo talks unfolded against a backdrop of expanding international security cooperation. According to The Associated Press, Japan and the European Union announced a new security and defense partnership the previous day, marking the first such agreement between the EU and an Indo-Pacific country. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the partnership aims to strengthen military ties through joint exercises and increased exchanges between defense industries.
Borrell, speaking in Tokyo, described the global environment in stark terms. “We live in a very dangerous world. We live in a world of growing rivalries, climate accidents, and threats of war,” he said, arguing that “partnerships among friends” are the only effective response. He called the EU-Japan agreement “a historical and very timely step given the situation in both of our regions.” The partnership includes cooperation on cybersecurity and space defense, reinforcing the shared view that digital and hybrid threats are central to modern security challenges.
Borrell’s visit to Japan was part of a broader East Asia tour that also included South Korea, reflecting the EU’s increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The tour comes as China and Russia expand joint military activities and North Korea deepens its cooperation with Moscow, including sending troops to Russia. The Tokyo discussions followed North Korea’s test launch of what is believed to be a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile.
Iwaya and Borrell expressed “grave concern” over Russia’s growing military cooperation with North Korea, including troop deployments and arms transfers, and reiterated their commitment to supporting Ukraine while condemning Russian aggression.