Tokyo: In a move to counter increasing Chinese tough postures in the maritime region, Defence ministers from Japan and Britain say the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and its strike group will visit Japanese ports in September for joint exercises as the two countries step up military ties.

British defence secretary Ben Wallace says he and his Japanese counterpart, Nobuo Kishi, also agreed to speed up talks on possible collaboration in Japan’s next generation fighter jet. Tokyo is seeking to expand and deepen security ties with other nations in addition to its main ally, the United States, as Chinese military influence increases in the region.