British aircraft carrier the Queen Elizabeth and its strike group dispatched to the western Pacific will make port calls in Japan in September, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Tuesday, as China is increasing its military influence in the area.
Kishi unveiled the plan, apparently intended to counter China's rising assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, at a joint press announcement with his British counterpart, Ben Wallace, after their meeting in Tokyo.
The Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy's largest warship, and its group will be dispersed among ports in Japan, Kishi said. U.S. and Dutch naval vessels will accompany the British strike group.