and economic ties as well as the Iran war. Japanese media reported both sides want to share more intelligence on Chinese and Russian cyberattacks, boost joint military exercises, and cooperate on securing critical minerals. Carney arrived from Australia, where he said US-Israeli strikes on Iran appeared "inconsistent with international law" but supported efforts to stop Tehran getting nuclear weapons.

Fresh from saying in Davos in January that under US President Donald Trump the world was seeing a "rupture", Carney also called in Canberra for "middle powers" to work more together. As a strong backer for the rules-based international order, the Iran war has put Japan -- another similarly sized power -- in a difficult position. Japan is a close US ally that is home to some 60,000 US military personnel and which relies on US backing as China flexes its muscles in the region. The world's fourth-largest economy is also its fifth biggest oil importer, with some 70 percent shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Takaichi said Tuesday that she would hold "candid" discussions on the war with Trump at their talks in Washington on March 19. Japan-China ties have worsened since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily in any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan. (Bssnews)