 "Report of AUKUS parties asking Japan to join alliance 'inaccurate': US")
The report that Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) have informally asked Japan to join the AUKUS partnership is not accurate, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
"The reporting is inaccurate," Psaki said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported that the AUKUS parties informally invited Japan to join the alliance to help develop hypersonic weapons, which is one of the pact's initiatives.
The AUKUS member states are interested in close partnership with Japan, as the high technological potential of the country in cyberspace, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence can be used in the development of hypersonic weapons and tools of electronic warfare.
The Japanese officials are reportedly divided on the proposal, some lawmakers support strengthening the alliance involving the United States amid the growing military power of China while others doubt the feasibility of the idea since Japan already cooperates with each of the three countries, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
Last September, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom announced the new trilateral defense partnership, which forced Canberra to give up on a $66 billion contract with France to develop 12 state-of-the-art conventionally powered Barracuda-class attack submarines, after the AUKUS alliance promised to enhance Australia's fleet with nuclear-powered submarines from the United States.
Japan welcomed the creation of the defense alliance and supported the decision of the AUKUS partners to develop hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities that was announced earlier in April.