When Italy¡¯s flagship Cavour aircraft carrier sailed into Yokosuka Naval Base in late August ¡ª its first-ever visit to Japan ¡ª the scene heralded what Rome¡¯s envoy to Tokyo described as a ¡°new era¡± in bilateral relations.
The Italians aren¡¯t the only Europeans making their presence felt, however.
The visit highlighted a growing trend: Europe¡¯s largest nations are flocking to the Indo-Pacific in an attempt to expand security cooperation with regional partners and increase their military footprints.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.