Monday’s Yomiuri gave top play to a report saying that the governments of Japan and the UK have decided to launch talks on a visiting forces agreement (VFA), which will stipulate the legal status of SDF and British military personnel visiting each other’s nation, to facilitate their reciprocal activities. The two governments plan to confirm at their 2+2 meeting to be held on Dec. 14 in London the promotion of joint training between their forces and the launch of talks on a VFA by the end of next year. The paper speculated that Japan is hoping to expand defense cooperation with the UK, a quasi-ally, in preparation for a possible deterioration in the situation on the Korean Peninsula or in the East and South China Seas.