London, Tokyo to sign major defense deal

The British and Japanese prime ministers were expected to sign a "hugely significant" new defense deal allowing UK troops to deploy in Japan when the pair meet in London on Wednesday, Downing Street said. The deal will be the latest sign of London's growing interest in the Asia-Pacific region.

It will create a legal basis for the deployment of British and Japanese troops on each other's territory for training and other operations. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office called it "the most significant defense agreement between the two countries in more than a century".