Maroc - EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 27/12/2024 00:13

Japan And India: 20 Years Of Strategic Partnership – Analysis

By Pratnashree Basu and Tripti Neb Over the past two decades, Japan-India ties have evolved into one of the most prominent and pivotal partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. While Shinzo Abe is often regarded as the one who succeeded in cementing mutual trust between the countries, the foundations for this relationship were established much before, during the administrations of Yukio Hatoyama, Naoto Kan, and Yoshihiko Noda, all of whom served before Abe's return to office in 2012. Despite their relatively short tenures, these leaders played an essential role in advancing political, economic and strategic cooperation with India, recognising its significance in promoting regional stability and balancing China’s growing influence. This trend of deepening bilateral ties has been sustained under subsequent leaders, such as Fumio Kishida, and is expected to continue evolving under the current Ishiba administration. The era of strategic reset Starting with Yukio Hatoyama’s tenure as Prime Minister in 2009, Japan began the process of recalibrating its foreign policy in the wake of a global economic slowdown and shifting regional dynamics. Hatoyama’s administration centred its foreign policy around the idea of an “East Asian Community”, a vision that sought closer regional integration while also creating stronger economic multilateral relations. According to experts in Tokyo, India, as a rising power and the world’s largest democracy, proved a natural fit for this framework. The Hatoyama government placed significant emphasis on strengthening economic ties with India, choosing to begin projects such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor to boost India’s manufacturing industries collaboratively. Japan’s role in the corridor, which symbolised the intersection of economic collaboration and strategic connectivity, emphasised its acknowledgement of India’s potential as a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific. Japanese investments through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) began flowing in to aid Indian infrastructure and industrial development. However, Hatoyama’s cautious approach to defence cooperation reflected a greater hesitation to counteract China, even as the economic partnership with India deepened. The era of strategic consolidation Naoto Kan’s administration, succeeding Hatoyama in 2010, faced significant challenges due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011. Despite these calamities, Kan worked towards solidifying Japan’s relationship with India in the footsteps of his predecessor. His administration oversaw the commencement of the Japan-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a landmark deal that aimed to reduce trade barriers and boost bilateral commerce to reach bilateral trade worth US$25 billion by 2014. Kan’s administration recognised the strategic importance of diversifying Japan’s energy partnerships in the wake of its nuclear energy scepticism, leading to continued discussions on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India. Although a formal civil nuclear deal would not be signed until 2017, these negotiations reflected Japan’s growing trust in India’s role as a prominent nuclear state. On the maritime front, Kan’s administration took part in several series of the Malabar joint naval exercises with India, indicating increased interest in maintaining the freedom of navigation and stability in the Indian Ocean. While Kan’s domestic circumstances limited the scope of his foreign policy to an extent, his tenure contributed to the steady institutionalisation of Japan-India ties. Succeeding Kan, Yoshihiko Noda took charge of the administration in 2011, bringing a more focused approach to defence cooperation with India and recognising the need for strategic convergence between the two nations in the Indo-Pacific. During Noda’s tenure, Japan refreshed its engagement with India through the Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership, highlighting not just economic partnership but also security and defence cooperation. His administration oversaw the initiation of technology transfer talks with India, marking a significant shift in Japan’s traditionally pacifist post-war stance. Noda also encouraged closer collaboration on maritime security, including intelligence sharing and joint exercises in 2012, aimed at ensuring the safety of the Indo-Pacific, given China’s rise to power in the region. These efforts aligned with India’s interest in strengthening its defence relationships and reducing its dependence on traditional partners such as Russia. Economically, Noda’s government accelerated investments in India’s manufacturing and urban infrastructure, particularly through the promotion of Japanese participation in India’s smart city initiatives. The era of strategic elevation By the time Shinzo Abe returned to power in 2012, Japan-India relations were primed for a significant leap forward, leading up to one of the strongest periods in Japan-India bilateral relations. Abe, known for his strategic vision and commitment to counterbalancing China’s growing regional influence, placed India at the cornerstone of his Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy. Undoubtedly, Abe’s key contribution was this FOIP vision, which continues to play a pivotal role in consolidating Tokyo’s strategic ties with key regional and global partners. FOIP has become the backbone of Japan-India relations, emphasising shared values and interests in the Indo-Pacific. The Abe administration also cemented the annual “2+2” dialogues involving foreign affairs and defence ministers, indicating the strength of strategic alignment ties between the two nations. Defence cooperation reached unprecedented heights, with Japan becoming a permanent participant in the Malabar naval exercises and signing agreements for the transfer of defence equipment and technology to India. Additionally, Abe deepened economic ties with India, pouring heavy investments into India’s infrastructure projects, including US$15 billion in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project. These initiatives, funded in part by JICA, symbolised mutual trust and a long-term vision for collaboration. India and Japan, under Abe’s administration, focused not only on economic and defence fronts but also sufficiently on cultural and soft power diplomacy. This was famously institutionalised with the declaration of 2017 as the “Year of India-Japan Friendly Exchanges”. The Abe administration expanded the number of scholarships for Indian students to study in Japan, promoted people-to-people ties, and welcomed India’s support regarding the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020. These efforts successfully enhanced mutual understanding and goodwill, complementing growing strategic alignment. Abe’s tenure marked the flourishing of the Japan-India relationship into a comprehensive partnership, setting a high benchmark for future leaders to follow. The era of pragmatic continuity and enhanced engagement Yoshihide Suga's tenure focused on maintaining Shinzo Abe’s legacy, particularly in advancing the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision and strengthening collaboration in the Quadrilateral security dialogue—a grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. He emphasised economic resilience through supply chain partnerships and supported India during the COVID-19 pandemic, consolidating the strategic partnership’s momentum. Fumio Kishida, who assumed the role of Prime Minister in 2021, has heavily built upon this legacy, focusing on emerging areas such as cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and green energy. Recognising India’s critical role in diversifying global supply chains, Kishida’s administration focused on developing alternatives to China’s dominance in industries such as semiconductors and rare earth elements, pledging US$42 billion worth of investments in India. Additionally, the Japan-India Digital Partnership, launched under Kishida, has fostered collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence and supply chain technology since 2023. Kishida’s pragmatic approach to bilateral relations has ensured steady growth in both nations’ relationships, with a much-needed emphasis on innovation and sustainability. Looking at the road ahead, the administration of Shigeru Ishiba is likely to bring new dimensions to the Japan-India partnership. Ishiba, a strong advocate of proactive security posture, is likely to prioritise defence cooperation and multilateral engagement with India and the Indo-Pacific. His administration could accelerate joint technology development, expand military exercises, and strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms among both nations, owing to the growing need to counteract China. Moreover, Ishiba’s interest in space exploration and advanced technology could open new avenues for bilateral collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as satellite technology. Nonetheless, even as the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, Japan and India’s partnership will remain a critical pillar of regional stability, underscoring shared democratic values and a commitment to a stable international order. About the authors: Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme and the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy at the Observer Research Foundation Tripti Neb is a Research Intern at the Observer Research Foundation. Source: This article was published by Observer Research Foundation