Britain, the U.S. and Australia said on Monday they are considering working with Japan through their AUKUS security pact, despite U.S. export-control restrictions that challenge the existing partners' efforts to counter China's power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Britain said consultations on
future cooperation between the three AUKUS partners and other nations including Japan were set to begin this year.
A summit in Washington between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
on Wednesday is expected to address Japan's possible future involvement in
AUKUS "advanced capabilities" projects, but officials and experts say obstacles remain given the need for Japan to introduce better cyber defenses and stricter rules for guarding secrets.
AUKUS, formed by the three countries in 2021, is part of efforts to push back against China's growing influence.
