The United States and Japan have rejected media reports that Tokyo would be invited to join a security pact with Australia and the UK to jointly develop hypersonic weapons, insisting there are no plans to include other nations.
Asked about the report during a Wednesday press briefing, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it was “inaccurate,” telling reporters the AUKUS alliance would not become “JAUKUS” anytime soon.
“Our focus has been on finalizing a trilateral program of work on a range of advanced military capabilities that align our priorities and amplify our collective strengths,” she added.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also responded to the claim on Wednesday, stating that Tokyo was “not asked to participate in the security framework.”
The initial report was published in Japan’s Sankei Shimbun newspaper on Tuesday. Citing “several government officials,” it said the US, Britain and Australia had “asked for Japan’s participation in AUKUS,” including cooperation on “hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities.”