RUSI Launches New Paper Examining the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership
At a launch event in London, RUSI experts published their latest report examining the status of the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership.
The report, 'What Next for the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership', was authored by RUSI Cyber Research Fellows Joseph Jarnecki and Dr Pia Hüsch, and RUSI’s Indo-Pacific Senior Research Fellow, Dr Philip Shelter-Jones. The authors welcome the strong momentum and enthusiasm for the Partnership and call for it to be expanded in scope. They offer a number of recommendations to deepen the partnership, including:
- Strengthening cooperation on reforms to government structures, legislation and resilience.
 - Collaborating to promote international rules and norms, including by dissuading and deterring common adversaries.Â
 - Pursuing stronger cyber security and closer alignment on emerging and disruptive technologiesÂ
The authors conclude that, in the context of worsening geopolitical tensions across Europe and Asia, growing UK-Japanese cyber cooperation can help advance both countries’ national cyber defences, promote their shared international interests, and strengthen international cyber crisis response efforts.
Reflecting on the report, Ambassador Naoki Kumagai, in charge of cyber policy and Deputy Director-General of Japan’s Foreign Policy Bureau, said:
I’d like to extend my sincere congratulations to RUSI on the launch of the report on the Japanese UK Cyber Partnership and, with the launch of the report, the progress of bilateral cooperation in the cyber field will be shared with a wider audience.
Naoki Kumagai
Japanese Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy
Read the paper
In remarks about the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership, the UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, Catherine West MP, said:
As cyber threats continue to evolve, so must our collaboration. We must continue to innovate, adapt, and expand our partnership. That means investing in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which will be critical for the coming era of cyber defence. It also means deepening our engagement with the private sector, which plays a critical role in both countries' cyber ecosystems. Our collaboration is a testament to what can be achieved when two nations come together with a common purpose.
Catherine West MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific)
RUSI Cyber Research Fellow, Joseph Jarnecki remarked:
The UK and Japan continue to deepen bilateral relations amid growing geopolitical tension and rapid technological change. The UK-Japan Cyber Partnership is a core pillar of strengthening relations. Cooperation on cyber security enables closer partnership in combatting state threats, developing defence capabilities such as the Global Combat Air Programme, and conducting joint research on emerging technologies like AI.
Joseph Jarnecki
Research Fellow
About RUSI's Cyber Research Group
RUSI’s Cyber research group takes a global approach to its research, examining UK and international strategic responses to cyber. The team leverages the broader experience of RUSI staff and Associate Fellows and has fostered a growing network of cyber experts from both the public and private sectors and academia.
Our research agenda is structured around the following themes: cyber strategy, cyber resilience, cyber threats and offensive cyber. The team pursues different aspects of these themes, depending upon policy priorities at any given time.
Current research projects examine the implementation of the UK’s 2022 National Cyber Strategy, offensive cyber operations, technology and national security in the context of the Net Zero environmental transition, cyber insurance and ransomware, responsible cyber power, and cyber capacity building.