INDIA AND JAPAN

IT’S WIN-WIN FOR INDIA AND JAPAN

Rohit Viswanath

DNA, December 27, 2011

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda arrives in New Delhi today to participate in the Sixth Annual Summit between the two countries. The visit comes at a crucial juncture in contemporary geopolitics. It closely follows the first trilateral meeting between the United States, India and Japan held in Washington, DC on December 19. The Washington meet was clearly aimed at containing China, which is being perceived as becoming increasingly aggressive in the Indo-Pacific, a region of great significance to the three countries. Further, the death of Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader who led the country to become an intimidating nuclear power, has led to further uncertainty in the region.

With the West reeling under severe financial crisis, Asia is being looked upon as the propeller of the global economy. It now accounts for 35% of the world’s GDP, up from less than 20% in 1980. Over the last 30 years, developing Asia has surpassed the rest of the world in recording a phenomenal GDP growth of 7.2 per cent. Japan perhaps may well be the fastest growing developed economy in 2012.

India and Japan have strengthened bilateral relations in recent years through new initiatives in the spheres of economic and cultural linkages to defence and security co-operation. It is hence no surprise that Japan and India’s leaders will devote considerable attention to reviewing this Strategic and Global Partnership. The two have shared interests in maintaining the security of sea lanes from Djiboiti in the Horn of Africa to Port Blair all the way up to the East China Sea. Cooperation for fighting international crime, terrorism, piracy and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is of vital importance to them.

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