The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on its front page that the Japanese and British governments have determined a strategy to sign a comprehensive cooperation framework covering the cyber domain - "Japan-UK Strategic Cyber Partnership" - during the meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and UK Prime Minister Starmer on the 31st in Tokyo. The core of this is sharing information on cyber threats (information collection and analysis) and enhancing the ability to defend against attacks from foreign forces and deterrence capabilities.
Several government officials revealed that Starmer will arrive in Japan in the afternoon on the 31st. This will be the first visit by a UK prime minister to Japan in three years, and also Starmer's first visit since taking office in July 2024.
Japan and the UK reached a "cyber partnership" agreement in 2023, and have cooperated multiple times in practical aspects. In addition to the United States and Australia, Japan places great importance on cooperation with the UK in the cyber field, and will elevate the level of cooperation during this visit to Japan.
In the new comprehensive cooperation, we will deepen cooperation in three areas: (1) detecting and preventing cyber threats through information sharing, (2) enhancing the cyber resilience of society as a whole (including critical infrastructure such as water, electricity, and transportation), and (3) cyber human resources and new technologies.
In this core area of intelligence, the two authorities will share information about the methods and targets of cyber attackers, which will help strengthen defenses. The two countries are also preparing to lead international deterrence actions.
The Japanese government is significantly strengthening its capacity to respond, such as enhancing public-private partnerships, monitoring communication information, and conducting intrusion and destruction attacks on sources through the "active cyber defense" related law enacted last May. Prime Minister Kishida is also strengthening intelligence capabilities. The UK has strong intelligence agencies and has rich experience in cyber confrontation against countries such as Russia and China. The Japanese and UK governments believe that the synergy effect of cooperation is high.
In Japan, the Asahi Group Holdings was attacked by a cyber attack last year, causing chaos such as the suspension of beer and beverage transportation, which will further strengthen Japan-UK cooperation.
At the summit, Japan, the UK, and Italy are expected to reach an agreement on promoting cooperation in the security field, including joint development of next-generation fighter aircraft, defense industry, and economic security such as critical minerals.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855791935350784/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.