British aircraft carrier makes 1st port call in Japan

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa — The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth docked at the U.S. Navy’s base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Saturday, in a move aimed at restraining the Chinese military from increasing its activities in waters around Japan.

Britain’s state-of-the-art aircraft carrier made its first port call in Japan after being dispatched to East Asia.

The Queen Elizabeth is the largest ship in the Royal Navy, with a displacement of about 65,000 tons and a length of about 280 meters. It carries advanced F-35B stealth fighters and other aircraft.

The carrier strike group — which consists of the Queen Elizabeth and eight other vessels from the British, Dutch and U.S. navies — left Portsmouth in southern England in May.

While sailing through the Suez Canal, Indian Ocean and the South and East China seas, the group has conducted a series of joint training exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy, among others.

The strike group is expected to conduct air-defense and antisubmarine warfare drills with the MSDF, Air Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy in the waters and airspace from the East China Sea to the southern Kanto region through Tuesday.

Both the Japanese and British governments regard the visit of the carrier to Japan as a symbol of deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. With China attempting to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China seas, the governments of Japan and Britain intend to continue strengthening strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Saturday, officials from Japan, Britain and the United States welcomed the carrier at a dock at the U.S. Navy’s Yokosuka base. The Royal Navy band on board responded by performing music with bagpipes.

The port call by the carrier strike group is said to be the largest in the history of Japan-Britain relations, according to the British government.

British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom emphasized the significance of its visit, saying, “We believe this visit marks the elevation of our defense and security relationship to a new level.”

The Japanese government considers Britain, which is allied with the United States, to be a “quasi-ally,” and has held foreign and defense ministerial two-plus-two meetings four times since 2015.

Japan is aiming to conclude a bilateral Reciprocal Access Agreement with Britain so that they can accept each other’s forces into their country through a series of joint exercises by the Self-Defense Forces and British troops.

Japan intends to counter the Chinese military’s repeated provocative actions in the waters surrounding Japan with the Japan-U.S. alliance, but it also hopes to reinforce its ability to deter China by bringing British forces into the regional security equation, according to a senior

Defense Ministry official.

The Queen Elizabeth sailed through the South China Sea on its way from the Malacca Strait to Japan in an attempt to discourage China from creating military bases on artificial islands.

Britain — which has been reviewing foreign policy in the wake of its withdrawal from the European Union — stated in “The Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development and Foreign Policy” released in March that it needs to engage with the Indo-Pacific more deeply. It is also aiming to deepen economic ties through its involvement in the security field, such as its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. (Sept. 6)

Above: The HMS Queen Elizabeth is seen sailing toward the U.S. Navy’s base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Saturday. Right: Carrier-based aircraft are lined up on the flight deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth as it heads for the Yokosuka base.

Yomiuri Shimbun photos