Japan PM Kishida signs new security agreements with G7 allies with an eye on China. 

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is bringing back more than souvenirs from his whirlwind diplomatic tour, including space defense, US troop deployments, and a “hugely significant” deal with Britain.

In meetings with Group of Seven allies in Europe and North America this week, the Japanese leader has focused heavily on defense as he attempts to forge closer ties with allies in the face of mounting pressure from China, according to analysts.

According to Amy King, associate professor at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University, Japan wants to normalize its “role as a great power.”

Because of Japan’s pacifist post-war constitution, it seeks “the kinds of strategic partnerships and defense relationships that are quite normal for other countries, but which have been largely off-limits to Japan.”

Kishida’s conversations have covered a wide range of topics, from trade to environmental concerns, demonstrating his efforts to deepen Tokyo’s bonds with its allies.

According to King, Japan is “protecting itself from a decline in US capacity and working to attract other significant democratic states into Asia.”

The government announced a significant overhaul of the military in December, including a plan to double spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 and name China as Japan’s security’s “greatest strategic challenge ever.”

According to Mitsuru Fukuda, a Nihon University professor specializing in crisis management, Kishida’s diplomatic efforts “reflect that Japan’s national defense cannot be done by Japan alone.”