New space pact means America will defend Japan if satellites attacked

America and Japan have announced a new space pact that will mean the two countries will come to each other’s defence if their satellites are attacked.

The extension of their defence agreement is designed to reflect “the increasingly severe security environment", officials said in a statement - adding that an attack on either party would prompt the other to “act to meet the common danger”.

The move is seen as a direct response to the growing capability of Chinese space programs.

“We agree that attacks to, from or within space present a clear challenge,” said Antony Blinken, US secretary of state.

“We affirm that, depending on the nature of those attacks, this could lead to the invocation of Article Five of our Japan-US security treaty,” he added, pointing to the mutual defence agreement.

Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister, will meet Joe Biden, the US president, in Washington on Friday as he continues to tour G7 countries.

Mr Kishida's government said last month that Japan would increase defence spending by 2027 to two per cent of GDP. That is in line with a separate goal by Nato nations, whose security concerns have also heightened due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The US praised the spending boost, as well as Japan's decision to build a "counter-strike capacity" - being able to hit launch sites that threaten the country.

Japan has officially been pacifist since its defeat in the Second World War, but has recently become more forthright about Chinese aggression towards Taiwan.

“Japan is stepping up big time and doing so in lockstep with the United States, partners in the Indo-Pacific, and in Europe,” said Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, in a statement.

The talks with Japan come ahead of a rare visit to Beijing by Mr Blinken, who said Mr Biden was committed to "guardrails" on tensions.

"We're not looking for conflict. We'll manage the competition responsibly," said Mr Blinken.