Relevance: GS Paper II (International Relations)
Why has this issue cropped up?
Ahead of the PM’s visit to Japan, hopes are high for a greater synergy on security and connectivity issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo later this month will be keenly watched by India’s strategic community.
India and Japan getting closer
- Since he assumed office in 2014, Mr. Modi has made India-Japan relations a key priority area of his foreign policy. Now, in the last year of his term, Indian analysts are looking for tangible signs of a transformation in economic and security ties.
- Fortunately for India, Mr. Modi’s Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe is a keen advocate of closer bilateral relations. Mr. Abe views India as the pivotal state in the Indian Ocean. A strong India, he candidly professes, is in Japan’s interest, just like a strong Japan is beneficial for India.
- The Abe administration is focusing attention on two critical areas — maritime security and strategic connectivity.
- On the security front, Japan is keen to strengthen the trilateral Malabar exercises with India and the U.S.
- Tokyo is keen that its military exchanges with India also include Army and Air Force exchanges.
- An Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement — on the lines of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. — is in the offing, and there is also talk of joint collaboration in unmanned armoured vehicles and robotic systems.
- Further, Japan also wants to assist India in improving the state of maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean, where India is keen to set up an ‘information fusion centre’.
- Notwithstanding the excitement over security relations, it is strategic connectivity that presents the bigger opportunity.
- Tokyo and New Delhi have been working together on infrastructure projects in the Northeast.
- They are also building the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, whose four pillars — developmental projects, quality infrastructure, capacity building, and people-to-people partnership — make it an effective counterpoint to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
A reliable partner
- What makes Japan a reliable partner in the connectivity arena is its emphasis on ‘quality’.
- Unlike China’s Belt and Road projects, Japanese infrastructure initiatives are environmentally friendly and financially sustainable, with project managers laying particular stress on life cycle costs and asset resilience.
- Not only has Japanese development aid produced demonstrable results on the ground, Tokyo’s insistence on transparency has generated enormous trust.
- The Modi government’s economic and security outlook — often articulated in terms of its ‘Act-East’ outreach — fits well with Mr. Abe’s vision for a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.
The China angle
- Both countries want a regional order based on rules. However, neither country is keen to antagonise China.
- While Tokyo is willing to work with Beijing on overseas infrastructure projects, New Delhi has expressed reservations about its ‘Quadrilateral’ partners (the U.S., Japan and Australia) resorting to China-containment tactics.
- Even so, Japanese and Indian policymakers recognise the importance of balancing Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific. To deter China’s maritime aggression in their strategic backwaters, Japan and India have upped their defence engagement.
The US-2i issue
- Despite repeated attempts, talks for the sale of the US-2i amphibious aircraft have been deadlocked over issues of price and technology transfer.
- The deal has been hanging fire since 2014 when Indian officials raised objections over the platform’s high cost.
- Of greater concern has been Japan’s unwillingness to let India license produce the US-2i, insisting on delivering all aircraft in flyaway condition.
- India’s foreign policy establishment knows the deal has come to be seen a symbol of India-Japan defence cooperation. A failure to procure it would be deemed as a setback.
Conclusion
Indo-Japan partnership is increasingly vital for the security of littoral Asia. In the wake of growing challenges in the maritime domain, New Delhi knows that operational synergy with Tokyo is a strategic imperative. Striking a deal on the US-2i would be a good start point.
Reference:
Teaming up with Tokyo (The Hindu)
