China hits back against Nato’s ‘eastward march’ as Indo-Pacific leaders and alliance members meet at summit

According to the partnership, the pair will make their militaries more interoperable and work together on cyber defence, “countering hybrid activities including hostile information”, and collaborate on disruptive technologies and space security.

Japanese officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had not given up hope of a Nato liaison office being established in Tokyo eventually, after France vetoed the move at the Vilnius summit.

“It is not now or never,” said a government source. “It doesn’t mean Nato stops discussing it.”

At a press conference following the second day of the summit, Stoltenberg confirmed that the idea was not dead. “It will be considered in the future,” he said.

A Western diplomat attached to Nato said that the alliance had prioritised signing the partnership deals with Japan and South Korea over a “one-person office” in Tokyo, after Paris refused to sign off on both.