Round The World
New
Delhi, 3 September 2014
Modi’s Japan Visit
CHECKMATING
CHINA
By Ashok B
Sharma
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
five-day long visit to Japan is enough signal to China that if it can afford to
have an “all-weather” friendship with Pakistan in an attempt to checkmate and
antagonise India, the latter can have more significant relationship with its
immediate island neighbour. Modi did so by elevating the relationship between
the two countries to the level of Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
Adding “special” is not just a “play of words” he said but it signifies Japan’s increasing role in India’s
economic development, increased political dialogue and a renewed push to
defence cooperation.
More so, his utterances of
“expansionist” mind-set of the 18th century still visible in the
world, some countries “encroaching “ upon others, while some “entering the
seas” and some “capturing the territory of a country” have perplexed the
Chinese leadership, if not annoyed them. Incidentally, Modi’s remarks came when
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India in the third week of this
month.
Reacting to Modi’s utterances in Japan the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Qin Gang said “I want to stress that China
and India
are major countries. We both advocate and practice the five principles of
peaceful coexistence.” But the official Chinese media accused Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe of dividing China
and India
and termed the attempt as “crazy fantasy”.
India and China has a
longstanding border dispute. China
has occupied thousands of sq km of Indian territory in the western and eastern
sector and continues to lay its claim over other parts of Indian
territory. China
is also in possession parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
gifted by its “all-weather” friend. This had prompted Modi to say in a recent
election rally in Arunachal Pradesh (which is claimed by China as its territory), “China should shed its expansionist policy and
forge bilateral ties with India
for peace, progress and prosperity of both the nations.”
Modi’s words have sounded as music
to Abe’s ears as China
continues to claim Senkaku Islands in East China Sea.
But it is noteworthy to see how Modi deals with the Chinese President Xi
Jinping when he arrives here for talks. Will Modi insist upon the Johnson Line
and the MacMahon Line fixed by the British as the boundary between India and
China and that represented by the official map of the country? Will he try to
resolve the dispute over Indian presence in South China
Sea?
Modi had assured to work together
with all South Asian (SAARC) countries. The participation by SAARC leaders in
his swearing in ceremony was a symbolic gesture. He also wanted to reopen
dialogue with Pakistan,
but as the latter increased ceasefire violations at the border and talked to
the Kashmiri separatists, the scheduled talks at foreign secretaries level was
called off. The Modi government is of the view that the dialogue process should
be on the basis of Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration with peace at the
border. New Delhi,
however, is of the view that the situation would improve for a dialogue.
The tilt in India’s foreign
policy under Modi government is quite visible. Instead of waiting, the time is
ripe for sub-regional cooperation in South Asia and then extending it to
South-East Asia and East Asia. Buddha
diplomacy is the trump card. Modi’s first foreign tour in South Asia was to Bhutan and then to Nepal. Japan
is his first visit outside South Asia and this
is the first time an Indian Prime Minister was staying in an Asian country for
five days.
Budhha diplomacy also holds good for
roping in many south-east Asian countries. External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj’s recent visits to Singapore, Vietnam and to Myanmar for 21st ASEAN
Regional Forum Meeting and 4th East Asia Foreign Ministers’
Meeting has already set the tone for Modi government’s future interaction with
east Asian countries.
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged
as a point for US’ game of rebalancing in Asia.
This region has become important for India to play its key role. Shortly
after his return from Japan,
Modi is expected to host Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot. Australia is an
important player in the region and presently is the chair of the Indian Ocean
Rim Association.
Modi has assured to strengthen
defence relations with Japan.
He needs to do so with South
Korea also. Both New
Delhi and Tokyo
have agreed to take forward the India-Japan-US trilateral process to the level
of foreign ministers and continue with joint naval exercises. Though the
India-Japan civil nuclear deal could not get through in the recent summit
talks, it is in an advanced stage of negotiations.
Similarly are the talks for
cooperation in production and technology of US-2 amphibian aircraft. Japan has already removed six of India’s space and defence-related entities from
its foreign end user list and is supportive of New Delhi’s membership of four international
export control regimes.
On economic cooperation, Modi’s
visit yielded Japan rolling
out 3.5 trillion yen public and private investment and financing from Japan within a
span of five years. Abe also pledged ODA loan of 50 billion yen to India
Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd for public-private partnership
infrastructure projects in India.
Cooperation between Varanasi and Kyoto was inked for the development of India’s holy
city and Modi’s pet project.
Japan is a major investor in
the project for revival of ancient Nalanda
University. So also are
other south-east Asian and east Asian countries. Development of Buddhist
Tourist Circuit in India has
also drawn the attention of Japan.
Feasibility study on Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train with Japanese assistance is
at an advanced stage.
There are over 1000 Japanese
companies having their bases in India,
making Japan the 4th
largest investor in India.
This includes iconic brands like Sony, Toyota, Hitachi and Mitsubishi.
In the last 12 years, Japanese companies have invested $12.66 billion in India,
accounting for 7% of total FDI inflow into the country. But bilateral trade is
stagnating around $18 billion, which needs to improve.
India and Japan particularly agreed to work jointly for
development of Africa. This effort would help
to check the growing Chinese influence in this continent.
In sum, Modi’s visit extends hope
for India to play a major
strategic role in South-East Asia and East Asia and check the Chinese sinister
ambition to dominate over entire the Indo-Pacific region, including South Asia,
South-East Asia and East Asia.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|