INDIA AND JAPAN IN THE INDO-PACIFIC A NATURAL PARTNERSHIP

IN-DEPTH

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With cooperation between G-7 and G-20 as Japan is the current president of the former and India of the latter, this partnership could acquire global dimensions. In the strategic calculations in the Indo-Pacific and global geopolitics, India can be ‘an indispensable partner’. Assertions like ‘the rise of countries like India’ in the Global South could be a signal that New Delhi is considered for a leadership role among the developing countries. Lastly, the Chinese may aspire to be a global power, India and Japan will play prominent role in the Asian Century

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida recently was on an official visit to India. The visit consolidated the increasing proximity between the two countries and enhanced economic and defence ties. From the revival of the term ‘Indo-Pacific’ by Shinzo Abe in 2007 to the evocation of the ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ in 2016, India and Japan have been interacting both intensively and extensively over the last two decades. Though the term is a geopolitical construct, it has acquired multi-dimensionality over the years. Bilaterally, India is the largest recipient of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in recent years. Japan’s investments in the Indian industrial sector are reflected in the several special economic zones (SEZs) across the country. New Delhi and Tokyo are also collaborating on matters of defence and security.

In the geostrategic context, Indian and Japanese security perceptions converge in the region with China being the primary driver of common apprehensions. Though a bigger and formidable trading partner of China, Japan faces issues related to territorial claims in the Sea of Japan.