Improving Indo-Japanese Ties for Better Balance of Power in the Region: Current Event Presently in News
INDO-JAPAN Ties : A current News
Hello Friends i am really satisfied to find a article related to Ties between India-Japan. India is a
developing country and we should appreciate our PM Mr. Narendra Modi on his visit to Japan to bring about technological changes in our country. This tour is really appreciated by Japanese PM as he was with our PM Narendra Modi whole the time on 5 day visit. This post is important because it covers all the historical facts as well as current tie-ups between India and Japan and India-Japan Relationship. If you are going for your SSB then read this post for your knowledge as it may be a Topic in Group Discussion, Lecturette and can be asked in P. INterview
Historical Perspective
Traditionally over the century’s relationship between India and Japan has remained fairly cordial. Buddhism spread from India to Japan via China and Korea.
During the 20th century Japan embarked upon the process of modernisation and development and India viewed Japan with admiration and as a symbol of Asian resurgence in a world that was more western power centric.
During the Second World War India was under the British and hence fought the war against the Japanese. When Japan conquered Burma and reached the Indian border, 67,000 Indian soldiers were taken as prisoners of war by Japan.
These prisoners of war were indoctrinated against the British, and many of them joined the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against the British rule in India.
In 1944-45 joint forces of India and Britain defeated Japanese forces in Burma and INA disintegrated.
Japan supported the Indian Independence Movement, and accepted many activists that escaped from British rule and stayed in Japan. The prominent one’s being, Rash Behari Bose, the leader of Indian Independence Movement and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who organised and led INA to fight alongside the Japanese Imperial Forces against the British.
Most prominent offensive was launched in the NE state of Manipur, the battles of Imphal and Kohima led to a major defeat of Japanese forces and INA completely lost its cohesion.
India for the first time after the second world war established diplomatic ties with Japan after restoration of its sovereignty in April 1952 by signing a Peace Treaty.
Commerce resumed and India supplied Japan with iron ore to reconstruct and rehabilitate Japan after the devastation of the World War II. Japanese PM visited India in 1957 and Japan started providing loans/aid to India.
During the cold war era, the relationship between India and Japan were constrained due to Japan aligning with the USA, which was assisting Japan in its World War II reconstruction and India’s pursuing a non-aligned foreign policy.
Relations During Recent Times
During the Narasima Rao Government, India initiated the Look East policy, which was carried forward by subsequent PMs, like Atal Behari Vajpai and Manmohan Singh, posited Japan as a key partner and since 1986 India is the largest recipient of Japan’s Official Development Assistance.
Relationship between these two countries suffered a setback after the Pokhran-II nuclear weapon test by India, as Japan imposed economic sanctions on India. The sanctions were lifted after three years.
Ever since then the relationship has improved exponentially, and a number of manufacturing companies, like Sony, Suzuki, Toyota and Honda established their facilities in India.
Japan has also financed a number of infrastructure development projects, the most notable being the Delhi Metro.
The year 2007 was declared as the Indo-Japanese Friendship year and a number of economic and defence related cooperations were initiated. Japanese Self Defence Forces and the Indian Navy participated in a joint exercise in the Indian Ocean.
Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe was invited as the chief guest for 2014 Republic Day Parade.
The recently concluded visit of PM Modi to Japan has opened vistas for cooperation and the two countries have signed an agreement on ‘India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership’.
Benefits to India of Improving Ties With Japan
Catalyze India Economic Growth
Japan ranks India as the most promising overseas investment destination over the long term. Japan currently is India’s fourth largest FDI source.
After having assisted in the Delhi Metro Project and a railway project between Mumbai-Delhi, Japan is now in the process of discussing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project, Dedicated Freight Corridor Project on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi- Howrah routes and Chinnai-Banglore Industrial Corridor Project.
Since the signing of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2010, Japan has set up many prominent companies in India. During PM Modi’s recent visit to Japan, PM Shinzo Abe pledged $35 billion in private and public investments.
These funds will be used to improve Indian manufacturing skills, create ‘smart cities’, electronics industrial parks, build high speed rail lines and urban subways, clean up river Ganga, produce clean energy and speed up rural development.
China is the largest importer of Indian raw materials and exports the finished products back to India resulting in a huge trade deficit (value of import from India is lower than the value of export for China) in favour of China. It was $1 billion in 2002 and has nearly reached $ 35 billion as on date.
Besides, the cheaper Chinese goods flooding the Indian markets (through legal and illegal route) give an unreasonable competition to Indian manufacturers, thereby stemming their growth prospects. A very low profit margin is the major reason for our manufacturing sector to be lagging behind.
Hence, China can leverage its financial clout by arm twisting India, since it is a major supplier of power and telecom equipment to India and also it provides loans to Indian companies in financial distress.
China finds India as its main regional competitor, and is therefore systematically trying to prune its aspirations at the nascent stages only. Collaborating with Japan will restrict Chinese monopoly and prevent Sino-centric Asia.
Ensure Favourable Balance of Power in Asia
China is following a policy of slowly nibbling at land and maritime boundaries of neighbouring countries. Claiming islands in the South China and East China Seas allows China to extend its maritime border, the same has two advantages.
Firstly, abundant natural resources and oil reserves that lie untapped become intrinsically available to China and it is able to control the energy supplies and transport routes across a major portion of the world’s busiest waterways.
Secondly, China has established an Air Defensive Identification Zone over the areas claimed by it in the South China Sea (which is roughly 80% of it), through which it restricts the fly past of aircrafts of other countries. Thus, effectively expanding its international frontiers.
The historic ‘India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ agreement signed during the visit of PM Modi to Japan will facilitate cooperation on defence technology, maritime security and create means to deter aggression and ensure favourably balance of power in the Indo- Pacific region.
Finally, to conclude, the strong convergence of economic and security interests of the two countries is likely to cement the relationship significantly and this liaison will foster a new dimension to India’s pursuit to growth and sustainable development.
Col DJS Chahal
Contributor to this Post:
Facilitator and Trainer. He specialises in memory management, EQ and SQ. Has a vast experience in group skills development. , Ex Member Services Selection Board. (Trained at Defence Institute of Psychological Research, DRDO in Psychology with special focus on Competency based Evaluation through Group Dynamics) Held numerous training and motivational programmes on Leadership and Team Building for over 22 years. He is an expert in memory management.
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