Indo-Japan Relationship

Why in news?

Japan’s Prime Minister announced that he would step down as a chronic illness has resurfaced.

Who is Japan’s PM?

How committed was Abe for a relationship with India?

In his first stint in 2006-07, Abe visited India and addressed Parliament.
During his second stint, he visited India thrice.
He was the first Japanese PM to be Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014.

How did the Indo-Japan ties transform?

The foundation for “Global Partnership between Japan and India” was laid in 2001.
Annual bilateral summits were agreed in 2005.
However, it was Abe who accelerated the pace of ties since 2012.
In first term - Abe, who visited India in 2007, laid the foundation for his concept of Indo-Pacific.
This concept has now become mainstream and one of the main pillars of Indo-Japan ties.
In second term - Abe helped build the relationship further.
In 2014, Narendra Modi as PM chose Japan for his first bilateral visit outside the neighbourhood.
Modi and Abe agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.
The relationship encompassed issues like civilian nuclear energy, maritime security, quality infrastructure, Act East policy and Indo-Pacific strategy.

How was the Indo-Japan nuclear deal signed?

When Modi went to Japan in 2014, the Indo-Japan nuclear deal was still uncertain.
This is so because Tokyo was sensitive about a deal with a non-Nuclear-Proliferation-Treaty member country.
Abe’s government convinced the anti-nuclear hawks in Japan to sign the agreement in 2016.
The pact was a key to India’s deals with US and French nuclear firms, which were either owned by or had stakes in Japanese firms.

What are the defence agreements?

Under Abe, the two sides decided to have Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting (2+2).
They are negotiating the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), a military logistics support pact.
In November 2019, the first Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting was held in New Delhi.
In 2015, a pact for transfer of defence equipment and technology was also signed.

What is the Indo-Pacific strategy?

During Abe’s tenure, India and Japan came closer in the Indo-Pacific architecture.
Abe had spelt out his vision of the Confluence of the Two Seas in his 2007 speech when the Quad was formed.
But, Quad collapsed soon.
In 2017, Chinese aggression grew in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and India’s borders in Doklam.
As a result, Abe mooted the idea of reviving the Quad.
Quad was revived as Indian, Japanese, Australia and US officials met in Manila on the sidelines of the East Asia summit.

What is Japan’s stand on India-China stand-offs?

Since 2013, Indian and Chinese soldiers have had four border-stand-offs, including the ongoing one since May 2020.
Abe’s Japan has stood with India through each of them.
Japan has made statements against China for changing the status quo.

What are the infrastructural investments?

During Abe’s visit in 2015, India decided to introduce the Shinkansen system (bullet train), due to begin in 2022.
Under Abe’s leadership, India and Japan formed the Act East Forum.
The Forum is engaged in projects in the Northeast.
The two countries also planned joint projects in Maldives and Sri Lanka among others to counter Beijing’s influence.

What is next?

Much to India’s comfort, Abe did not get distracted by India’s domestic developments.
He focused on strategic, economic and political deliverables.
India will now wait for Abe’s successor, who will have big shoes to fill.

Source: The Indian Express

Quick Fact

Quad

Quad is a multilateral grouping among Japan, Australia, India and the United States.
Quad was convened, in 2017, at the level of senior officials on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Bangkok.
There are common references to the creation of a free, open and inclusive regional architecture, rules-of-the-road, freedom of navigation and over-flight, and, ASEAN centrality.