The US and Japan will announce they are extending their security alliance to space in an attempt to defend against attacks on satellites amid growing concern about the threat from China, US officials said.
Tokyo and Washington will announce the expanded security co-operation later on Wednesday in Washington, where US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and US secretary of state Antony Blinken are holding talks with their Japanese counterparts.
The announcement, which comes ahead of Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida’s summit with US president Joe Biden on Friday, marks the latest effort by Washington and Tokyo to increase co-operation to counter China and prepare for a possible conflict over Taiwan.