Indo-Japan Bonhomie irks China

India has initiated steps to expand its defence relationship with Japan. If this is seriously pursued, it can be a game-changer for the geopolitics in Asia as well as the economy of both the countries.

By Vinod Varshney
Japan and India have finally decided to expand their defence relationship as both countries remain apprehensive of China’s aggressive postures. Chinese attitude has forced them to change their foreign policy stances, though quite late. Japan has stopped assailing India for its nuclear tests conducted in 1998; rather it is now ready to enter into civil nuclear cooperation with it. Japan is also moving towards changing its pacifist constitution to be able to do normal defence preparedness to thwart Chinese muscle-flexing over Senkaku islands in South China Sea.
      Indian keenness to have better strategic tie-up with Japan acquired fresh urgency in the shadow of Chinese incursion in Depsang (Ladakh) last month. Their troops entered 25 kilometers deep into Indian territory and erected three tents while Chinese authorities continued to claim it was Chinese area. China had already annexed Aksai Chin area of Jammu & Kashmir and lays blatant claim on entire Arunachal Pradesh. It does not support Indian sovereignty on J&K. No wonder, a recent survey conducted by two international think tanks revealed that some 83 percent Indians view China as a security threat. That is why Indian government chose to be a realist this time rather than a romantist as in Nehru’s days.  However, as expected the Indian move irked China and its pro-government Global Times warned that India can improve relations with Japan only at its peril. India would only be inviting problems for itself if it does so.
      The process had started to improve relations with Japan as early as 2006 when Shinzo Abe first welcomed prime minister Manmohan Singh in Tokyo. But relations between India and Japan did not acquire momentun due to political instability in Japan where no prime minister on an average would stay even for a year. 
      If we see from the point of view of Indian needs, the growing relationship with Japan is the need of the hour. Not only does the security threat to both countries from China make it a compulsive choice but also the economic complementarity. India needs badly investment and high technology to improve its productivity to compete with China economically.
      In the current state of affairs India is not only facing huge trade deficit with China which makes one third of its total current account deficit but also losing its economic growth to China to some extent as Indian markets remain flooded with Chinese goods stagnating its manufacturing. Japan too needs India as a big market, almost equal to China.
      The immediate gain to India is Japan’s flagship investment in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and a new Bangalore-Chennai Corridor. This would alter country’s manufacturing fortunes.

( The Article was first published in the monthly magazine of political affairs the ' Lokayat' (June, 2013 issue)