Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi boarded the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on Monday at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in a demonstration of the robust ties between the two nations.

Kishi's inspection of the state-of-the-art carrier came as Japan and the U.K. deepen their defense cooperation in response to China's military buildup and assertive territorial claims in the region.

"I felt Britain's strong desire for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Kishi told reporters. "By boarding the vessel, we were able to widely publicize the further development of defense cooperation with Britain at home and abroad."