Japan and Britain have held a joint naval drill in the Pacific Ocean south of Okinawa Island, the Defense Ministry said, as the two countries deepen defense cooperation amid China's growing military clout.
The drill, conducted on Tuesday, involved the Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Ise and a strike group of the British aircraft carrier the Queen Elizabeth, marking the first time for the Royal Navy's largest warship to work with the Self-Defense Forces near the Japanese archipelago.
U.S. and Dutch naval vessels accompanying the British strike group also participated in the drill, according to the ministry.