India and Japan Renew their Commitment to a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”

Geopolitical headwinds have led to major realignments across the globe. New frameworks are being rolled out the existing ones are being consolidated. The Ukraine crisis has hastened major geopolitical churn with countries marshalling diplomatic capital to leverage their strengths for consolidating their strategic interests.

The steady stream of world leaders to New Delhi after India assumed the Presidency of the G20 and more pertinently its emergence as the voice of the 125 countries of the global south has become a specific point of interest for Japan, the current chairman of the G7. At the helm of two strong forums, both leaders are objectively seeking to use their political influence to bring some consensus in these uncertain times. As the most pivotal partner in economic development and transformation and with similar security anxieties, Japan is India’s best friend in the region.

Countries normalised ties in 1952 with bilateral cooperation spanning different areas- political, economic, defence and security, science and technology, education over decades. In 2000, countries elevated the ties to ‘Global Partnership’, ‘Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006’ and ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ in 2014¹. Since 2006 both countries have held annual summit meetings. Enhancing strategic depth of security and defence cooperation, countries commenced 2+2 Defence, Foreign Ministers and National Security Advisers Dialogue in 2019. Deepening this cooperation, countries have initiated military and naval bilateral exercises “Dharma Guardian” and ‘Veer Guardian’ in addition to the existing trilateral biannual ‘Jimex’ exercises, Malabar exercises with US and Australia and the multilateral naval exercises ‘Milan’.

Similarly, Japan’s ODA (Official Development Assistance) has been instrumental in transforming India’s connectivity. Indeed, the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled the Indo-Pacific framework or the ‘confluence of two seas’ at the Indian Parliament in 2007 laying the foundation for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue of the four democratic countries (Japan, India, US and Australia) or the democratic security diamond. After enduring initial delinquency and neglect, the framework which was resurrected in 2017 is now becoming a binding force for nations to evolve a common strategy for this region whose security is threatened by the hegemonic aspirations of China.

Chinese attempts to unilaterally change the status quo of the region and its muscular posturing in the Taiwan Straits more so, after speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit has firmed up Japan’s approach. The coming of age of Japan’s diplomacy bordering a confrontational approach, a break from its defacto pacifism is now firming up the contours of the regional alignments as well. China’s continued support of Russia and Xi Jinping’s coronation has made things worse.

Diligently upholding the West’s position on the Ukraine conflict, Japan has stepped up sanctions against Russia, and as the G7 chair made support for Ukraine a priority. Indeed, even a feverish pitch for the Indo-Pacific framework is finding a greater resonance with foreign ministers of Quad recently meeting at New Delhi; UK, US and Australia making new announcements on nuclear-powered submarines and IPEF members holding the second negotiating table at Indonesia. Around the same time, China is upping the game by mediating the Iran-Saudi rapprochement, presenting a 12-point Ukraine peace plan.

Incidentally, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has dashed to India for the regular annual summit meet, President Xi Jinping announced a state visit to Moscow. The dynamics of different frameworks in swift action in this region is truly ushering the world into a geopolitical churn.

On his two-day visit to New Delhi, Prime Minister Kishida and PM Modi held wide-ranging delegation talks and restricted leader meetings strengthening the existing pillars of cooperation-defense and security, economic partnership, climate change, energy transition, people-to-people exchanges, skill development and innovation. Rested on the pillars of trust and coordination India and Japan have robust and multi-dimensional bilateral ties.

Countries also exchanged notes on 4^th tranche of JICA ODA loan of Rs 18,000 crores for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) and a Memorandum of cooperation in the field of Japanese language². Both leaders reviewed the progress of the JICA’s (Japan International Cooperation Agency) developmental assistance to the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement an indispensable for India’s Act East Policy.

In an attempt to salvage the Buddhist roots and origins in India, New Delhi is now unleashing the common cultural connect to advance its global interests. To resurrect this connection, Modi and Kishida visited Bal Bodhi Tree in Buddha Jayanti Park and gifted a sandal wood Buddha statue enclosed in a kadamwood jaali box³ and later had a tete a tete enjoying pani puri.

As part of the larger vision of Act East policy, under the sub-segment of Indo-Pacific, leaders agreed to build resilient and trustworthy supply chains especially to mitigate the challenges faced by countries in the region in terms of the debt burden⁴. Indo-Pacific countries constitute the bulk of the Global South and voicing the priorities of the global South is the agenda of G20. Reiterating the prominent place for Global South in Japan’s latest White paper on development cooperation Kishida is seeking an opportunity to build bridges with the Global South.

Cognisant of the food, fuel, fertiliser and opaque financing challenges grappling the comity of nations, Modi and Kishida pledged to work together as the chairs of G20 and G7 platforms respectively. Underscoring the agenda of the summit meeting, Kishida wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I affirmed that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force is unacceptable not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in any region, and a peaceful resolution based on international law needs to be sought”⁵.

Kishida’s reiteration is in line with Japan’s latest posturing of expanding and strengthening its scope of security alliance with the US, rapprochement with South Korea after 12 years and announcement of a new framework with the US, Canada and South Korea. China’s burgeoning incursions into Japanese waters and intensification of Taiwan annexation besides breaching the First Island Containment has pushed Japan to link Taiwan’s contingency with its interests. This has decidedly changed the course of action of Japanese diplomacy which pledged to defend Taiwan and undertake the responsibility of stability of the Indo-Pacific. To this end, Defense White Paper released in July 2022, interlinked Taiwan’s security interests with Japan’s national interests⁶.  

In mid-December, Japan released three papers- Japan’s New National Security Strategy, Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program to safeguard its security interests⁷. The new security policy deemed China as an “unprecedented strategic challenge”, indeed, even in public surveys in Japan, China has replaced North Korea as the number one threat⁸.

 Japan committed to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP and increase cooperation with the like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Alongside, Japan is quietly upgrading its submarine capabilities adding its newest stealthiest submarine Hakugei, Taigei class diesel-electric submarine to its fleet⁹ when Kishida was in India.

The Indo-Pacific framework officially took its shape in India in 2007. To make it more relevant and foster greater cooperation amid confrontation and division, Kishida shared a new FOIP plan- ‘Together with India, as an indispensable Partner’ during his lecture at ICWA in New Delhi. He set forth four pillars of cooperation of FOIP- principles for peace and rules for prosperity; address challenges through dialogue in the Indo-Pacific way; multi-layered connectivity; and safe use of the sea to the air. Kishida pledged Japan would mobilise $75 billion in public and private funds by 2030 for infrastructure development in the region¹⁰.

Burgeoning geopolitical uncertainties and resultant global challenges are catalysing a major recalibration of ties between the middle powers. In this context, undermining the indispensability of viable partnerships, India and Japan are seeking to firm up their vision on the Indo-Pacific, a region aflush with major confrontations and conflicts.

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