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Australia, Britain and the United States said on Tuesday they were “considering cooperating” with Japan on the AUKUS security pact, setting the scene as the US president prepares to meet his Japanese counterpart.

In a statement, AUKUS partners said Japan’s “strengths” and close “partnerships” with the countries involved meant it was an obvious ally in the project, which is aimed at checking China’s rising military power.

“Since the inception of AUKUS, our nations have been clear in our intent to engage others in Pillar II projects,” the statement said.

AUKUS was established in 2021 and has two main practical goals: Pillar I aims to provide Australia with a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The submarine deal was mired in controversy as Australia decided to ditch a deal with France, as a result of which relations between Paris, Canberra and Washington took a hit. But over time, relations have been restored and observers think France may play a role in an enlarged cooperation between Australia, Japan and the US in the region.

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Pillar II focuses on developing advanced warfighting capabilities such as artificial intelligence, undersea drones and hypersonic missiles.

Tuesday’s statement said in seeking future opportunities, the group would consider technological innovation, financing, industrial strengths, and the ability to adequately protect sensitive data and information.

There have previously been concerns in Washington about Japan’s ability to protect and handle sensitive intelligence.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday that Japan’s involvement would only be for Pillar II of the agreement, rather than broader membership.

“Japan is a natural candidate for that,” he said.

The statement comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet US President Joe Biden at a summit on Wednesday, the first state visit in nearly a decade.

Japan is doubling its military spending as part of an overhaul of its security strategy, and reports say Kishida and Biden could agree the biggest upgrade to US-Japan command and control structures in decades.

Kishida told local media before departing that Japan-US relations were vital as the global security environment becomes increasingly volatile.

(With newswires)

Originally published on RFI