With Shinzo Abe's return in Japan, expect Tokyo and Delhi's already strong ties to reach new heights.
I recently spoke to a high-ranking Indian diplomat about the future of Indo-Japan relations in light of Shinzo Abe’s return to the premiership. The response was unwavering: India places “great importance” on its relationship with Japan and wants it to go “higher and higher.” With Abe at the helm, the time is ripe for this relationship to advance.
Abe is known to be staunchly pro-Indian. Not only did he describe strengthening bilateral ties as extremely important to Japan’s interests in his 2006 book Utsukushii Kuni E (Towards a Beautiful Country), but one of his major foreign policy initiatives during his previous tenure as PM was establishing a new vision for bilateral ties with India. To that end, he advocated emphasizing India and Japan’s shared values and overlapping security interests. He has also argued that both countries have a responsibility to work together in the Indo-Pacific region, which he refers to as “broader Asia.” In the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) recent campaign pledge, India was listed as a country with which Japan should enhance cooperation with on issues of national security and energy. With such support, it can be expected that Abe will look to India as a partner for greater Japanese activism in the region.
None of this should be a problem because the two already cooperate on a wide array of issues. Economically, relations have never been better. Over the past five years, bilateral trade has doubled. Things moved forward rapidly after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) went into effect in August 2011, removing duties on 94% of products over the next ten years and ensuring greater movement of goods, services, capital, and people between the two countries. Japan offers India a wealthy, sophisticated market for Delhi’s textiles, seafood, IT, pharmaceuticals and services. Japan, on the other hand, looks to India as an export market for its auto components, high-end technology, and capital goods. Indeed, within a week of Japan’s tsunami and nuclear disaster in March 2011, India’s auto industry was expressing concern that an anticipated disruption in Japanese manufacturing would significantly hurt its business.
Additionally, Japanese companies have been investing in Indian IT and other technology projects, and the Japanese government has been sending India significant amounts of Official Development Assistance (ODA). In fact, India was the first country Japan ever extended an ODA loan to back in 1958; and since FY 2003-2004 India has been the single largest recipient of Japanese ODA. Japan also exempted India from the cuts it made in ODA following the March 2011 disasters.
Japan and India work together diplomatically to promote common interests. At the UN, they actively champion reforming the Security Council. Additionally, they cooperate in promoting the G-20 and East Asia Summit as the primary venues for international economic cooperation and regional multilateralism, respectively. Within these institutions, Tokyo and Delhi cooperate on a number of issues including nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, counterterrorism, and climate change and energy security.
Japan and India’s security cooperation over the last six years has been greater than in the previous sixty years combined. This cooperation includes: building naval capacity through port calls, naval and coast guard exchanges, joint naval and coast guard exercises, and greater cooperation in information sharing and technical assistance; the protection of sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden; and extending patrol boats and capacity building training to the littoral states in the Strait of Malacca. Along with their strategic dialogue, the two sides have launched a bilateral Shipping Policy Forum, a Maritime Security Dialogue, and a Cybersecurity Dialogue.
Photo Credit: Flickr (generallising)
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thomas
its a welcome news,a total shift of japanese manufacturing plant from china to india and other southeast countries is goodchina is now becoming an irresponsible nation as their wealth grows,intimidation,bullying and aggressive stance is now being projected in their foreign policy.trade is what drives a countries economy and with that a good friendly attitude with your trading partner must come along which china now dont follow.we must always remember that the world have live and prosper while china is in seclusion.
Devdas
Basically, India is spineless. It can't even handle a tiny adversary like Pakistan when its jihadi terrorists attacked Mumbai on 26/11. How can they hope to counter an emerging hostile super power like China? If China attacks India, it will never ever defend itself with its ill-equipped army and poorly trained soldiers. Corrupt army officers, politicians, and an inefficient administration all will betray the Indians.
sameer soz
devdas……..i think u r not aware of historical facts…..but let me reveal again …..1) india defeted pakistan in 1965 2) Then dis-membered it in 1971 with bangladesh emerging as a seprate nation.
Now coming to what u have stated yes india can act & should act but surely in responsible manner & as for china ………welll time will tell as to how many friends China is creating with it's "peaceful rise" to power as of now what i see ………….china has problems with very powerful neighbours like Japan, South Korea & Taiwan with rising problems with vietnam (vietnam defeted china – if u are aware then very good) philipines, malasia etc (list is growing by the day) …..not to forget ao called. Superpower US. So, don't think like 1962 china can walk into "Nuclear India" (same threat is always given by pakistani military & politician when talking about india & kashmir). So this mis-adventure may cost china hugely as militarility yes china is rising but difference is not much, may be higher in numbers but indian military is much better offesnsive trained force in the world after US
Iswardi
With more Japanese companies exploiting the abundant labour in India, it would be a great move which allows Japan to offset the serious effects of a shrinking Japanese workforce and at the same time, prevent Japan from being forced to bring foreign migrants into its country to stop its population decline. The Japanese are not really open to foreign migrants to its country unlike Europe or America and this a good way to avoid it by simply encouraging its companies to find low-wage and supplementary labour abroad.
davida
"Diplomatically, both countries want international institutions to reflect today’s multi-polarity." really? that might be the case with India being a member of non-alignment organisation. but japan? he must have mistaken the polyp up his colon during his colonoscopy exam for a fart. because i just cant stop laughing.
madman!
sadly the world is run with money and power :-p and people helping people just cus they can is not gonna happen for atleast a 1000 years :-D . why do people want to fight for land and resources. invest on space travel and there is a whole galaxy of resources out there :-). just a thought :-D
Anon
I really hope India gets to MILK Japan for all it's worth, but be careful to check all generous "donations" with a Geiger counter…
nirvana
@Anon,
Sure, China can teach India how to do this.
co-nirvana
India does not need anyone to teach itself what to do. It can search for answers from within. But for commentors like you, don't shoot too quickly from the mouth.
Alpha roger
Anon
Jealous, that Japan has trimmed its ODA” donation to China?
Anon
Jealous…hahahaha….no, just deliriously happy for India that Japan will be spending the next few years and trillions of yen developing India's infrastructure, roads, rails, ports, airports, etc., and then facing down rioting Indians workers the likes of those who ran amok during the notorious Gujarat massacre. Go India! Go Japan!
Alpha roger
Hey anon
I know Beijing and shanghai were built in a day. Sorry India doesn’t have 1300 million prisoners. Else India would build über beijings and uber shanghai and infrastructure overnight. Stupid Indians like their freedoms and log cabins they themselves built. Alternatively they will have china or Japan build these things for them as they contemplate on higher things of life like education and research…their own, not stolen.
James
India is a recipient on Japanese ODA? How these broke countries continue to fund development is other nations is beyond me. I realise the there’s gain to be had in long term stable relationships and the creation of business interests, but Japan like so many has no money to give away, it all borrowed.
Jean-Paul
They continue to fund development because they are not broke at all. The definition of being broke is being insolvent and not being able to pay off your debts because you no longer have the revenue or assets to do so. Japan has a massive amount of savings that it can use to borrow off and their revenue is more than enough to pay the interest on the money they borrow.
Please tell me, how can a broke country still have one of the highest credit ratings in the world? How can a broke country be #3 in GDP?
nirvana
Perhaps you didn't know that China is also a recipient of Japan's ODA, at least until 2011.
see: http://thediplomat.com/tokyo-notes/2011/03/03/japan-to-slash-china-aid/
Alpha roger
Sorry Japan has demoted you on its recipient list. But hey some dollar is better than none
Anon
Lots of fake "Chinese" on this site. Quite funny actually. Japan and India should embrace each other, and here's hoping that Japan sinks massive investments into India. :) Meanwhile, the SCO, anchored by Russia and China, will be the BIGGEST EURASIAN power, with the largest population, the most efficient manufacturing, the richest natural resources, and the best technology. I am so glad Japan's fate is finally thrown into the indebted and barely developed countries.
Alpha roger
Anon
The only serious development china has seen in 2500 years is Indian export of Buddha . Only other development is proliferating prisons that manufacture prisoners about a million of whom are buried under the Great Wall of china. More power to you bud