Tag: India-Japan relations

India, ASEAN ‘Respect Each Other’s National Integrity, Sovereignty’: Modi

The prime minister was in Laos to attend the India-ASEAN summit, where the two sides released two joint statements.

New Delhi: India and the ASEAN countries are “peace-loving nations that respect each other’s national integrity and sovereignty”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday (October 10) while addressing the India-ASEAN summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

Modi, who also met his Japanese and New Zealander counterparts on the sidelines of the main ASEAN summit, made the remarks at a time of confrontation between China and ASEAN members Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

“Today, when there is conflict and tension in many parts of the world, the friendship, coordination, dialogue and cooperation between India and ASEAN are of utmost importance,” Modi added.

India and ASEAN – which stands for the Association for South East Asian Nations and was founded in 1967 – established the annual India-ASEAN summit in 2002 and upgraded the nomenclature of their ties to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ in 2022.

At Thursday’s summit, the two sides released joint statements on strengthening this comprehensive strategic partnership and “advancing digital transformation”.

The two sides said they reaffirmed “the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.”

They also said they supported the “full and effective implementation” of a 2002 declaration of conduct in the South China Sea and looked forward to the “early conclusion” of a planned ‘code of conduct’ in the sea in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS.

During his bilateral meet with newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Modi said India would “continue to accord the highest priority to its ties with Japan”, a readout by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Both leaders also said India and Japan were “indispensable partners for a peaceful, safe, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region”, the readout continued.

India and Japan are part of the Quad grouping of countries, which also includes the US and Australia, that was revived by America amid China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Modi’s meeting with his New Zealander opposite number Christopher Luxon in Vientiane was the two leaders’ first meeting, the MEA noted.

India and ASEAN also recognised opportunities for collaboration in digital public infrastructure, while Modi said while sharing “ten suggestions” on ties that the number of master’s scholarships for ASEAN students at Bihar’s Nalanda University would be doubled, though he did not share a timeline.

Japan Sanctions Indian Company for ‘Helping Russia Evade Punitive Measures’

Si2 Microsystems, based out of Bengaluru and a partner of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, had earlier been sanctioned by the EU and US.

New Delhi: Japan announced on Friday (June 21) that it will be imposing sanctions on 11 companies – including one based out of India – “for helping Russia evade punitive measures related to its invasion of Ukraine”, Japan Today reported.

Other countries hosting entities sanctioned by Japan include China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

The sanctions will include “asset freezes and export bans”, the report stated.

The Indian company in the list, Si2 Microsystems, is based out of Bengaluru and describes itself as a system-in-package and microsystems solutions provider. In February this year, the European Union too had sanctioned the same company as part of its 13th package of sanctions against Russia. In November last year, the US too had imposed sanctions on the company.

The US laid out the reasons behind the sanctions as:

“This entity is added to the Entity List for providing support to Russia’s military and/or defense industrial base. Specifically, this entity supplied Russian consignees connected to the Russian defense sector with U.S.-origin integrated circuits after March 1, 2023. These integrated circuits are classified under Harmonized Tariff System (HTS)-6 codes 854231, 854232, 854233, and/or 854239. These HTS-6 codes are identified under supplement no. 4 to part 746 (Russian and Belarusian Industry Sector Sanctions Pursuant to § 746.5(a)(1)(ii)). All U.S.-origin items classified under these HTS-6 codes have been controlled for export and reexport and transfer within Russia since September 15, 2022. Such U.S.-origin items require a license under § 746.5(a)(1)(ii) of the EAR when destined to Russia or Belarus.

Therefore, the documented shipments by this entity to Russia of such U.S.-origin items are contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests under § 744.11(b) of the EAR. This entity will be added with a license requirement for all items subject to the EAR and a license review policy of denial.”

This company, according to The Hindu, is a partner of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for a very recent Atmanirbhar Bharat (Make in India) collaboration. But the Russia-related sanctions are the first time it has hit trouble. It had earlier been banned by the US from “dual-use” technology transfers, and its directors had been placed on Lookout Circular notices by Indian authorities over debt defaults.

Indian officials had told the newspaper then that the government was examining the sanctions and would decide on whether to protest them. “India has done nothing illegal. It is their [the EU’s] interpretation that ties with Russia are a problem. As far as the government is concerned the sanctioned company is an industry partner and MeitY’s research partner,” an official told the newspaper.

During Japan FM’s Visit, Japanese Firms Lobby for a Better Business Environment in India

Tokyo also said that it was up to India as the G20 president to reach a consensus on language over Ukraine for a joint communique.

New Delhi: Japanese companies told the visiting foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, that they want a “more predictable” and “transparent” business environment in India, even as Tokyo said that it was up to India as the G20 president to reach a consensus on language over Ukraine for a joint communique.

The Japanese foreign minister arrived in India on July 28, Friday and chaired a Strategic Dialogue with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar. On Friday morning, the two ministers took part in a public interaction at the India-Japan Forum. It was followed by a lunch meeting with representatives of Japanese companies and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India.

At a briefing for the Indian press, Japanese foreign ministry’s deputy press secretary, Yukiko Okano, said the “view” from the Japanese firms in India was that “they would like to see a more predictable, stable and transparent business environment”, especially related to regulatory and tax issues.

She added that while this was not discussed on Friday, “we have also heard that infrastructure challenges were raised in the past”.

The Japanese spokesperson noted that the business chambers had raised these issues with Indian authorities from time to time.

Earlier, the Japanese foreign ministry’s press release on the Strategic Dialogue had said that minister Hayashi had “requested cooperation to improve the investment environment and for the early establishment of a Joint Crediting Mechanism”.

As per Japanese figures, Japan is India’s third largest trading partner and fifth largest investor in 2021. There are around 1,439 Japanese firms having presence in India.

During Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida’s visit last year, a target of public and private investment of five trillion yen in India over the next five years till 2027 was established.

Okano said that there was “steady” progress in meeting the target, but added that both sides were not releasing yearly figures on that front.

Also read: Centre Accused of ‘Unfairly’ Withholding Production Incentives to South Korean Firms

When asked about discussions on the Ukraine conflict on which India and Japan have varying positions, the Japanese diplomat said that both countries share “fundamental principles” that “territorial integrity and sovereignty should be protected” and that the use of force to change status quo “is not permissible”.

She reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a “very good meeting” with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of G7 summit hosted by Japan in Hiroshima.

When asked whether Japan wants Zelensky to participate at the G20 summit, she said, “We are okay either way on whether India invites Zelensky.”

She said that the language of the joint communique is still under discussion between the G20 countries.

Noting that the G7 will not dilute their position on Ukraine irrespective of the forum, the Japanese deputy press spokesperson said, “When it comes to the joint communique, [it is] up to the president on how to reach a consensus.”

Also read: Why Is India Unable to Criticise the Country That Has Invaded Ukraine?

Earlier speaking at the India-Japan forum, Hayashi said that at a time when there are many pressing challenges, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Japan and India “fully share the necessity to lead the world to cooperation, rather than to division and confrontation”

“The free and open international order based on the rule of law is key to realising such a world,” he said.

Stating that India is an “indispensable” partner in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said “free” means each country is free to make decisions based on its own sovereignty and “open” means respect for principles, including inclusiveness, openness and diversity.

“It is vital that we refrain from imposing values or excluding certain countries. This concept is especially crucial for smaller countries. In coordination with India, Japan intends to materialise such a concept through realising a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ or FOIP,” he said

The Japanese prime minister will be back in India for the second consecutive year to attend the G20 summit in September.

At Ministerial Dialogue, India, Japan Assert Commitment to Free and Open Indo-Pacific

The foreign ministers of India and Japan on Thursday underlined that they have a common partnership in achieving a rules-based and inclusive ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.

New Delhi: Even as they reiterated the commitment to work on connectivity projects in north-eastern India, the foreign ministers of India and Japan on Thursday underlined that they have a common partnership in achieving a rules-based and inclusive ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.

On Thursday evening, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Japanese guest Hayashi Yoshimasa chaired the India-Japan Strategic Dialogue for over two hours. The Japanese foreign minister arrived in India on Thursday at the start of a six-nation visit across South Asia and Africa.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs readout, the two ministers “emphasised the crucial role of strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and rules-based”.

Similarly, the Japanese foreign ministry statement noted that with the international community reaching a “historic turning point”, the two Asian countries share “share basic values and strategic interests, cooperating to achieve a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

Both foreign ministries also said that they discussed cooperation within the Quad format, as well as UN Security Council reforms.

“They also held a candid exchange of views on regional situations, including the situation in Ukraine and East Asia,” said the Japanese readout, while there was no mention of the conflict in the Indian statement. While Japan has taken a strident position against Russia alongside the West on the Ukraine war, India has refused to directly criticise Moscow and has become one of the top buyers of Russian crude in the last one year.

On the bilateral front, the Japanese foreign minister said that he would like to advance cooperation for “the development of north-eastern India” and “to advance projects that contribute to regional connectivity”.

India had invited Japan to help in fostering development projects in the north-east, which is a sensitive region due to the proximity of China.

Besides this, they also spoke about advancing cooperation in defence and meeting the target of five trillion yen in public-private investment and loans to India over the next five years.

“Furthermore, Minister Hayashi requested cooperation to improve the investment environment and for the early establishment of a Joint Crediting Mechanism,” said the Japanese foreign ministry press note.

PM Modi Meets Japanese Counterpart Fumio Kishida, Attends Shinzo Abe’s State Funeral

Modi, who is in Tokyo to attend the state funeral of Abe, met Kishida ahead of the ceremony and the two leaders renewed their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan ties.

Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, September 27 met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo and conveyed his deepest condolences over the sudden demise of former prime minister Shinzo Abe as he underlined the late Japanese leader’s contributions in strengthening the bilateral partnership as well as his vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Modi, who is in Tokyo to attend the state funeral of Abe, met Kishida ahead of the ceremony and the two leaders renewed their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, and in working together in the region and in various international groupings and institutions.

“The two leaders had a productive exchange of views on further deepening bilateral relations. They also discussed a number of regional and global issues,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a brief statement.

During the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his deepest condolences for the demise of Abe and noted his contributions in strengthening India-Japan partnership as well in conceptualising the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

“I am feeling very sad about the sudden death of former premier Abe… He took Japan-India relations to a greater level and also expanded it in many areas,” Modi, who shared a close friendship with the slain Japanese leader, said.

Modi recalled that when he visited Japan last time, he had a long conversation with Abe. “India is missing Shinzo Abe,” he added.

Also read: Shinzo Abe and India: A Confluence of Minds

Abe, 67, was shot dead while making a campaign speech on July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara.

“I am confident that under your leadership, India-Japan relations will deepen further and achieve greater heights,” Modi told Kishida.

On his part, Kishida thanked Prime Minister Modi for taking India-Japan ties to new heights and assured that he will continue to cooperate with him to realise the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Kishida visited India for the annual summit in March while Modi visited Japan for the Quad Leaders’ Summit in May.

“These meetings underscored the two leaders’ commitment towards deepening India-Japan ties, particularly in the context of shaping a post-pandemic regional and global order,” foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan.

Kwatra said there is deep convergence between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region.

Representatives from over 100 countries, including more than 20 heads of state and governments, are expected to attend Abe’s funeral on Tuesday.

(PTI)

Modi to Attend Shinzo Abe’s Funeral on Tuesday, Hold Talks With Japan PM Kishida

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a host of world leaders to participate in the state funeral of Japan’s longest-serving PM, who was killed during an election rally on July 8.

New Delhi: In probably his shortest trip abroad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Japan for around 16 hours to attend the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister with nine years at the helm, was assassinated by a gunman during an election campaign on July 8. The accused claimed he shot Abe for his links with the Unification Church, which had allegedly bankrupted his mother.

Less than a week after the assassination, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida announced a state funeral for Abe. It was a significant decision as it was only the second fully-funded state funeral for a prime minister in the post-war period. The last one was in 1967 for Shigeru Yoshida, who signed the 1951 San Francisco peace treaty that ended the occupation of Japan by the Allied powers.

Since the announcement, there has been a popular backlash criticising the funeral over its costs and revelations over the extensive links of the Church with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Japan plans to spend around $11.5 million on the funeral, mostly on security and hosting foreign delegations.

Around 20 world leaders and representatives from 100 countries will take part in the funeral at Nippon Budokan hall.

Ahead of Modi’s departure on Monday night, Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra claimed that the visit would be an “opportunity for him to honour the memory of former Prime Minister Abe, who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan relationship”. There had been an outpouring of tribute for Abe across the Indian political spectrum, and the government announced a day of mourning on July 9.

Kwatra also noted that Modi had a “personal bond of trust and friendship” with Abe that spanned over a decade.

Besides the funeral-related ceremonies and a meeting with Akie Abe, widow of Abe, Modi will also have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Kishida on Tuesday. The discussions will take the direction of a “very quick overview and assessment of the overall relationship, its current status, its trajectory, its progress, and the measures that they both need to take, to progress it further”, stated Kwatra.

In total, the duration of the visit “would stretch anywhere between 12 to 16 hours basically from the departure (in New Delhi) to the departure from Tokyo”.

While India and Japan have been largely aligned on the Indo-Pacific, the two capitals have sharply diverged their position on the Ukraine war. India has been one of the few democracies that have refrained from publicly criticising Russia. On the other hand, Japan has fiercely condemned Moscow for invading Ukraine and joined the West in imposing economic sanctions.

During Kishida’s visit to India in March this year, Ukraine had been at the top of his agenda.

While the Indian side said no other bilateral meetings had been scheduled, Tokyo will see the largest gathering of world leaders since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. The participants include US Vice President Kamala Harris, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, European Council President Charles Michel and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

According to Japanese media reports, a massive security blanket will encompass Tokyo, with protests against the funeral expected to be held on the same day.

At 2+2 Talks, India, Japan Call For Holding First Fighter Jet Exercise Soon

In the second ‘two-plus-two’ minister meeting in Tokyo, both the nations highlighted that the Indo-Pacific region should be based ‘on the rule of law and free from coercion.’

New Delhi: Even as both the countries are buffeted by geo-political storms in their neighbourhood, senior Indian and Japanese ministers agreed on Thursday, September 8 to hold the first jet fighter exercise at an early date and affirmed their support for rules-based order that respects the territorial integrity of nations.

India and Japan held the second ‘two-plus-two’ minister meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, following which a joint statement highlighted that the ministers assured that the Indo-Pacific region should be based “on the rule of law and free from coercion.”

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh attended the high-level meeting with their Japanese hosts, Yoshimasa Hayashi and Yasukaza Hamada. The last ‘two-plus-two’ format talks were held in November 2019.

According to the joint statement, the ministers had a “frank and fruitful discussion” on a host of issues, “particularly those in the Indo-Pacific as well as Ukraine.”

The ministers admitted that the need for global cooperation had “become more acute” due to the security challenges.

defence minister Rajnath Singh and Japan’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada attend an honor guard ceremony, prior to the Japan-India bilateral defence meeting at the Japanese Defence Ministry in Tokyo, Japan, 08 September 2022. FRANCK ROBICHON/Pool via REUTERS

Reaffirming their commitment to a “rules-based global order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” the ministerial quartet also called for “peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.”

As per Reuters, Japanese foreign minister Hayashi said at the meeting that “unilateral attempts to change the status quo with force are continuing in the East and South China Seas, let alone Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

While Japan and India share common concerns about China’s role in the Indian Ocean, they have differed over their approach toward Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in February this year.

Japan has taken a strong position against Russia, joining the West in imposing stringent economic sanctions against Moscow.

Also read: Shinzo Abe, the Tokyo Trial, and India: A Tricky Legacy

India has, so far, refrained from publicly criticising Russia for initiating the Ukraine war. India had taken part in Russia’s large-scale multinational military exercise earlier this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for strengthened economic ties with Moscow in an address on Wednesday, September 7.

Meanwhile, Japan and India called for strengthening defence cooperation, with a reiteration about holding a joint jet fighters drill at the earliest. It had been planned to be organised in 2020, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

“The ministers noted with pleasure that the air services of the two countries are working closely for the early conduct of the inaugural India-Japan fighter exercise. The ministers also expressed their shared intention to make continuous efforts towards more complex and sophisticated bilateral exercise,” said the joint statement.

Further, they agreed to “launch the Joint Service Staff Talks between the Japan Joint Staff and the Indian Integrated Defence Staff.”

Later this month, Prime Minister Modi will be travelling to Tokyo to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 27, when he is likely to meet with his counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Shinzo Abe and India: A Confluence of Minds

The former Japanese prime minister set out a new vision of India-Japan relations through his ‘Broader Asia’ idea and played a crucial role in how own nation’s development.

India was not unfamiliar territory for Japan’s deceased former prime minister Shinzo Abe on his first prime ministerial visit in 2007. He had first heard of India sitting on his grandfather’s lap. Nobusuke Kishi, the first Japanese prime minister to visit independent India, was Jawaharlal Nehru’s guest in 1957. Abe recalls with affection the stories he had heard as a child about India from his grandfather.

Abe’s first meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in fact took place a few months before Abe’s first term as prime minister in 2006. He was then on a visit to India as Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, a position that would normally not have entitled him to a meeting with the Indian prime minister. Fortunately, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian external affairs minister today, knew of Abe’s rising political star having served as chief of mission at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo in the late 1990s. At Jaishankar’s behest, I arranged a private, informal meeting with Dr Singh, who readily agreed to brush protocol aside and invited Abe for tea. Soon thereafter Abe took charge as Japan’s prime minister.

Then prime minister Manmohan Singh meets Shinzo Abe, at the India-Japan Summit Meeting, in Tokyo, Japan, May 29, 2013. Photo: PMO, GODL-India

In his altogether brief first term – lasting precisely a year from September 26, 2006 to September 26, 2007 – one of Abe’s important foreign policy initiatives was to visit India and set out a new vision of India-Japan relations through his address to the Indian parliament. He dubbed it ‘Broader Asia’. The Pacific and the Indian Oceans are “now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and of prosperity. A ‘Broader Asia’ that broke away geographical boundaries is now beginning to take on a distinct form. Our two countries have the ability — and the responsibility — to ensure that it broadens yet further and to nurture and enrich these seas to become seas of clearest transparence”.

With those words, Shinzo Abe began his historic address to the Indian parliament. To an audience that had not yet absorbed the full import of the historic shift Abe was seeking in Japan’s relations with India, he added: “This is the message I wish to deliver directly today to the one billion people of India. That is why I stand before you now in the Central Hall of the highest chamber, to speak with you, the people’s representatives of India.” Japan is now trying to “catch up to the reality of this ‘Broader Asia’,” he told Indian MPs. “Japan has undergone ‘The Discovery of India’, by which I mean we have rediscovered India as a partner that shares the same values and interests and also as a friend that will work alongside us to enrich the seas of freedom and prosperity, which will be open and transparent to all.”

Also Read: Abe’s Legacy for New Delhi: Enmeshed Strategic Ties and Bringing India Into the Quad

Seeking a “Confluence of the Two Seas”, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, Abe asked the Indian parliament if it was not time for a value-based and interests-based relationship between India and Japan. “This partnership is an association in which we share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, and the respect for basic human rights as well as strategic interests. Japanese diplomacy is now promoting various concepts in a host of different areas so that a region called ‘the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity’ will be formed along the outer rim of the Eurasian continent. The Strategic Global Partnership of Japan and India is pivotal for such pursuits to be successful.”

This speech defined Abe’s role not just in Japan-India relations but in the crafting of the concept of the Indo-Pacific and his larger vision for a community of Asian democracies. As for Japan-India relations, Abe was only building on a foundation that had already been prepared by his two distinguished predecessors, Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi. The Koizumi-Manmohan Singh meeting of April 2006 had defined the parameters of the emerging Japan-India relationship. However, it was left to Abe to build on this and take it forward.

Returning to power for a longer term in 2012, he placed India at the heart of his foreign policy for the Indo-Pacific region. He won Indian hearts by travelling to Banaras with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2015 and witnessing the evening arti at the Dasashwamedha Ghat – a visual that truly defined the Japan-India civilisational connect.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe witnessing the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, December 12, 2015. Photo: GODL-India

In Japan’s own national development, Abe will be remembered for his commitment to Japan’s re-emergence as a normal Asian power with a 21st-century personality of its own, and not one defined by the history of the 20th century. While Abe sought to preserve the Japan-US relationship, he was committed to rebuilding Japan’s own defence capability. No post-War Japanese prime minister represented this emerging national desire of Asia’s first industrial nation as much as Abe did. While his ‘three arrows’ economic reforms programme took time to deliver results, he did manage to bring Japan out of the funk it had got into in the 1990s. Japan’s new 21st-century personality is very much an Abe legacy.

Sanjaya Baru is a writer and policy analyst.

Indian Leaders Pay Tribute to Shinzo Abe, One Day of Mourning Announced

Abe, who was the prime minister from 2006-07 and 2012-20, cultivated excellent personal relations with Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, reflected in the bipartisan tributes to the Japanese leader.

New Delhi: Tributes for the slain former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe have poured in from Indian leaders across the political spectrum, with Indian Prime Narendra Modi describing him as a “global statesman” and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi noting that he had left a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific region.

Abe was shot by a 41-year-old suspect carrying a homemade gun at around 11:30 am on Friday while the former PM was campaigning for a parliamentary election in the western city of Nara. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved, as per state broadcaster NHK.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a day of national mourning on July 9 as a mark of “our deepest respect”.

He posted that he was “shocked and saddened beyond words” at the death of “one of my dearest friends”. “He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place,” he said.

Modi noted that he had known Abe from his tenure as Gujarat chief minister. “His sharp insights on economy and global affairs always made a deep impression on me”.

He also tweeted a photograph of his last meeting with Abe, when the Indian PM visited Japan this year.

The Indian PM observed that bilateral ties were upgraded to a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” because of Abe’s immense contribution. “Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment,” Modi tweeted.

Later in the day, Modi published a blog post detailing his relationship with Abe, adding he has “lost a dear friend”.

President Ram Nath Kovind said Abe’s “infectious affability endeared him the world over”. He described the former Japanese prime minister’s death as a tragedy for the whole humanity.

Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said Abe’s passing marked a sad day not just for Japan and India, but for him personally. “A quarter century of memories of Shinzo Abe. No words to express them,” he tweeted. Jaishankar is in Bali currently for the G20 foreign ministers meeting.

According to Manmohan Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru, Jaishankar, a career diplomat who had been posted as the deputy chief of mission in the Indian Embassy in Tokyo from 1996 to 2000, had forseen Abe’s career potential. At his suggestion, Abe’s first meeting with Manmohan Singh took place a few months before he became Japanese prime minister in 2006.

“Given [Abe’s] political pedigree and his proximity to the major-domo of Japan’s ruling LDP, Yoshiro Mori, Mr. Abe was seen by Mr. Jaishankar as certain to become Prime Minister one day. Brushing protocol aside Dr. Singh welcomed Mr. Abe for tea,” Baru wrote.

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the nation has felt the “loss of a great friend”. “Today, the whole of India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment. As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022,” it said.

The statement observed that Abe was a “visionary leader and statesman, who worked tirelessly for the betterment of humanity”. Recounting his speech in August

During his visit to India in August 2007, Abe delivered his famous ‘The Confluence of Two Seas’ speech in the Indian parliament, the MEA said, adding that his efforts have been “instrumental in bringing our nations together to realize a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific”.

That Abe was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, is “testament to the respect and warmth that he enjoyed in India”.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh reminisced that he had met Abe during his visit to Japan in 2019. “I found him to be an inspiring leader who had the vision to create a safe and better world. He will always be remembered for his statesmanship,” he tweeted.

Singh also noted that India had “lost a close friend who assiduously worked towards strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Japan, during his tenure as Prime Minister”.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said that Abe was committed to strong India-Japan ties and expressed his condolences to the family and the people of Japan.

Bipartisan tributes

Abe, who was the prime minister from 2006-07 and 2012-20, cultivated excellent personal relations with prime ministers, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, reflected in the bipartisan tributes to the Japanese leader.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he was “deeply saddened” by the demise of Abe. “His role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India & Japan was commendable. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific”.

The main opposition party, Congress, also tweeted condolences and highlighted Abe’s role in strengthening bilateral ties. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Japan during this time of sorrow”.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu described Abe as a true statesman and a global leader, saying he shaped Japan’s destiny.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said Abe worked for the peace and development of Japan and the world, expressing shock at his killing.

Shinzo Abe at the inauguration of the India-Japan Cultural Centre at Kolkata, August 23, 2007. West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and others are also seen. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office, GODL-India

Then Union finance minister P. Chidambaram meets Shinzo Abe in Japan, 2013. Photo: Ministry of Finance, GODL-India

Then prime minister Manmohan Singh meets Shinzo Abe, at the India-Japan Summit Meeting, in Tokyo, Japan, May 29, 2013. Photo: PMO, GODL-India

Shinzo Abe, the chief guest of the 2014 Republic Day, and his wife Akie Abe with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, January 26, 2014. Photo: GODL-India

The Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar meets Shinzo Abe, in Japan, March 30, 2015. Photo: GODL-India

Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe in October 2018. Photo: 内閣官房内閣広報室/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Abe’s Legacy for New Delhi: Enmeshed Strategic Ties and Bringing India Into the Quad

With the looming threat of a growing China, bilateral trade and ties increased exponentially between India and Japan during Shinzo Abe’s tenure.

Note: This article was originally published on August 30, 2020 and is being republished on July 8, 2022 in light of Shinzo Abe’s assassination. 

New Delhi: Japan’s embrace of India may not have begun under Shinzo Abe, but his term as prime minister not only accelerated the move for closer ties with India through a strategic prism of keeping a rising China at a distance, but also pulled New Delhi into the club of democratic major powers in Indo-Pacific.

At a press conference on Friday, Abe announced that he would be stepping down due to persistent ill health. During his nine years as Japan’s prime minister, he has visited India four times, including as chief guest for Republic Day parade on Rajpath.

When Abe became prime minister for the first time in September 2006, India and Japan had been in a self-declared “global partnership” for five years. A year earlier in 2005, both countries decided on annual bilateral summits that would be held in each other’s country on alternate years.

Building on that foundation, Abe hosted then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh within three months, upgraded ties and committed to discuss cooperation in civil nuclear agreement.

Also read: Shinzo Abe: Stepping Down or Just Stepping Back?

This promise made in the 2006 joint statement was the key signal that Japan was seeking to leave behind its trepidation over improving relations with India following its 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, especially since anti-nuclear stance has been at the heart of Japanese foreign policy. A Japanese foreign minister even described the decision to start negotiations with India on nuclear agreement as one of his “toughest decision”.

When Japan resolved to restart stalled negotiations on the nuclear pact, it was Abe who made the announcement during Singh’s visit in May 2013 – just six months into his second tenure. Three years later, Abe witnessed the signing of the nuclear agreement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo.

According to veteran analyst Takenori Horimoto, the initial catalyst for Japan’s relook at ties with India was the 2004-5 anti-Japan demonstrations in China which triggered the necessity to dilute and spread the risk to massive overseas Japanese investments to other countries.

As per Japanese government records, bilateral trade between India and Japan increased from 740 billion yen ($7.023 billion) in 2005 to 1,821 billion yen ($172.8 billion) in 2018 – a rise of 146%.

Further, Japanese investment in India increased at a higher pace – by 1165% from 29.8 billion yen ($2.8 billion) in 2005 to 377 billion yen ($35.8 billion) during the same period. India even opened a special window for clearance of Japanese projects, but the slow pace of bureaucratic approval and land acquisition did dull the sheen of some of the major flagship proposals.

However, more than economic relations, Horimoto asserts that the bigger factor “was security policy to cope with rising China as the top priority in common”.

The lasting legacy of Abe’s years to India-Japan relationship would probably be in term of a strong political backing to building the components towards the more strategic relationship.

Even before he became PM, India had been on his mind. In his article for Japan Institute for International Affairs, Horimoto recounts that as chief cabinet secretary, Abe had observed in 2006 that “just as no one predicted 10 years ago that Japan-China trade including Hong Kong would top the US, it would not be at all strange if Japan-India relations were to have outweighed Japan-US and Japan-China relations 10 years from now”.

Also read: Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe Resigns Citing Poor Health

While the seed of the concept of Quad and the Indo-Pacific may have been planted after the 2004 tsunami, Abe can take the credit for having formed the four-nation grouping .

Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd noted that Shinzo Abe had proposed the Quad in 2007. During his short one-year term, Abe had managed to persuade PM Singh and US vice president Dick Cheney, and the first informal meeting of the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue was held at Manila in August 2007.

While Japan had not publicly painted a target on China’s back, Japanese foreign minister Taro Aso’s promotion of an ‘arc of freedom and prosperity’ in Asia which listed all the major democracies in the region, including the Quad members, but omitted China. Aso is one of the contenders for succeeding Abe as prime minister.

On his first visit to India as PM, Abe had also delivered the famous “confluence of the seas” speech at the Indian parliament, where noted that “the Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and of prosperity”. In September 2007, he witnessed the Malabar exercises off the coast of Okinawa island, which included all the four Quad members and Singapore.

Just before winning the election before his second term in 2012, Abe wrote an article, “Asia’s democratic security diamond”, which asserted that Japan’s relations with India “deserves greater emphasis”. He had noted that Indian government government had shown “political savvy’ by forging an agreement with Japan on rare earth mineral manufacturing.

Similarly, the red-carpet to Japanese companies to invest in Northeast India, a substantive part of which was claimed by India, was an unmistakable signal of the strength of the strategic relationship.

In the 2012 article, Abe had explicitly warned South China Sea increasingly becoming a “Lake Beijing”, comparing it to Soviet Union’s Sea of Okhotsk.

It was in that backdrop that Abe pushed forward legislative changes which would allow it to exercise the right to collective self-defence.

The South China sea dispute has made a frequent appearance in India-China joint statements, with both sides emphasising the role of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

But the Japanese prime minister also embarked on an engagement with China late in his term. He sent a senior official to the 2017 flagship summit of the Belt and Road initiative, which was boycotted by India. The 2017 India-Japan joint statement, incidentally, did not have an explicit mention of the South China dispute by name, unlike its previous iterations.

The broad contours in Japanese foreign policy about a cautious engagement with China, while improving close ties with Asian countries and Beijing’s neighbours through economic ties and infrastructure development, as laid down by Abe, would certainly be taken forward by his successor.