FROM DITHERING STATE CRAFTSMANSHIP TO A PRUDENT RAPPORT: INDO-JAPAN BILATERALISM- Part I
Provenance of affinity between India and Japan dates back to 6th century when Buddhism from India had propagated to other parts of Asia including Japan. The concreteness of this rapport is perceptible in the setting up of Japan-India Association in 1903 - the oldest international friendship body in Japan. Diplomatic peregrination commenced when India became independent and signed with Japan the Peace Treaty of 1952- Japan's first treaty after it was discomfited in WW2. There was no schism or animosity in annals of Indo-Japan bilateral history to stymie its new foundational relationship's evolution. During the miasma of earlier years of Cold War era, India was envisaging to effectuate an Asian Community of States while Japan was looking for comradeship in the region with bated breath. Hence it is germane to note that India played a substantiate role in forming comity between Japan and other by inviting Japan in 1952 to the first Asian Games in New Delhi and by encouraging Tokyo to partake in Afro-Africa conference at Bandung. Meanwhile, India became the 1st recipient of yen loan aid by Japan and by 1986 Japan had become India's largest aid donor.
The structural veracity of Cold war was inimical to India and Japan relationship. The commination emanating from Russia exhorted Japan to align with the US. Whereas India coalesced Non-align Movement with a propensity of tilting towards USSR. Hence, it is plausible that during Indo-China and Indo-Pak war in 1962 and 1965 respectively, poker-faced Japan appeared nonchalant. Moreover, due to its parochial economic policies, India remained a picayune nation- marginal to Japanese economic priorities.
With the nefarious design of Cold War ebbing since 1990, combined with the Economic reforms of 1991 in India, India and Japan started appraising their relationship with peculiar alacrity. Tweaking its engagement with hitherto untended Asia-Pacific Region, India ushered in "Look East Policy", with Japan as the fulcrum of the policy. PVN Rao's visit to Japan in 1992 vindicated that Japan was the kernel of New Delhi's emerging foreign policy priorities.
Despite the diminution of the structural constraints, Indo-Japan ties were sluggish. The episode that set the cat among the pigeons was the Nuclear Test 1998 by India which marked substantial retrenchment in the ties. Taking gargantuan umbrage at the nuclear test, Japan was in the vanguard of admonishing India. Japan suspended economic assistance, put on hold all political exchange, froze grant aid, imposed sanction over technology transfer etc. As Japan is the only country to experience the savagery of Nuclear Bomb, its demeanor is still tailored by what remains as the shrapnel of WW2 that are still hovering over it. What beleaguered India was its feebleness to apprise and to assuage Japan and the world about the menace of rogue nation Pakistan. On the other hand, Japan, itself ensconced under the redoubt of US nuclear umbrella, should have understood of and acquiesced to India's genuine security concern.
Worst could have followed if the fissures in the engagement were protracted. Fortunately, the controversy was ephemeral and a thaw had become apparent. Japan PM Mr. Mori's visit in 2000 and reciprocated visit by Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Japan in 2001 petered out the impasse and buried the hatchet. Bilateral relations were institutionalized, variegated issues such as Terrorism, Afghanistan, Economy, Environment etc were embodied. Fine-tuning of liaison between India & Japan underscored the manifestation of strategic semblance of Asia. Beginning of 21st century was, indeed, an epoch of robust ties between India and Japan.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Emperor Akihito
It is not difficult to fathom that China's heyday during 2000s gave an inkling of post-American era with changing balance in Asia-Pacific. China, inexorably, was accentuating its economic-military prowess to achieve regional hegemony in Asia, and hence, was preventing the rise of other powers including India & Japan. Antithetical interpretation of history by Japan & China was a pesky spot between them. Meanwhile, China replaced US as Japan's biggest trading partner. China economic dominance made other states to kowtow to her.
The emergence of India and China as a global aspirant for next world power vouchsafed an intricate development in Asia's geopolitics. A log of economic and strategical conflicts has long deviled India's relationship with China. The growing antagonism was conspicuously evinced when China gainsaid the seat of India and Japan at United Nation Security Council. Consternation arising from the perverse rise of China as the dominant power in Asia led to the portentous transformation in Indo-Japan ties. An assertive China was an inducement to the USA to intervene in Asia power politics. Hence, USA emboldened Japan to hammer out political and strategic ties with neighbors like India and Australia.
The demise of USSR buttressed Indo-US ties which in turn spurred Japan to take cognizance of Indian foreign policy. Therefore, India and Japan audaciously vamped up their ties as well as the ties with others state in Asia to countervail China. In this way, the parlous state of the strategic environment in Aisa-Pacific has brought the two together.
At the same time, Japan economy hit the skids. PM Junichiro Koizumi proselytized the reforms by overhauling banking system, deregulating big business, opening up the economy and reorienting Japan Foreign policy. Despite its dwindling economy, Japan had no dearth of investible capital and remained fecund in high tech. India emerged as a beckoning market due to its consumer spending and cheap labor. India also mushroomed in internet business and knowledge intensive industries and known for its erudition in software development.
As Japan was mulling over diversifying its economic interest, India's economic growth made it ravenous for investment. To facilitate Japanese Companies entry, India set up its first Industrial park exclusively for Japanese investment. Maruki Suzuki was the most successful Indio-Japan business collaboration. A 100 billion dollars high tech and manufacturing freight corridor between New Delhi and Mumbai has 3rd of its bill being financed by Japan public and private money. Besides these strategic and economic stimuli, some domestic factors like Japan's aging population and India's growing skilled workforce gave a smidgen of impetus to Indo-Japan ties. Japan should expand immigration to draw in more foreign worker and India will be a major beneficiary if Japanese govt does decide to undertake immigration reforms.
India and Japan divvy up concernment in securing sea lanes for ensuring trade and energy security and to attenuate the hawkish attempt of any adversarial power to control regional waterways. Navies of both exercise regularly, the synergy between coast guard is snowballing- for combating piracy, terrorism and co-operating on disaster relief. When he visited India in 2007 and stoutly addressed the parliament, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was most ebullient about Indo-Japan ties. He put out feelers about broader Asia including India-Australia-Japan-US quad. A significant declaration on security co-operation was signed during Man Mohan Singh visit to Japan in 2008. Besides this, he was confabulated on Indo-Japan joint efforts in counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, Asia-pacific geopolitics etc.
The structural veracity of Cold war was inimical to India and Japan relationship. The commination emanating from Russia exhorted Japan to align with the US. Whereas India coalesced Non-align Movement with a propensity of tilting towards USSR. Hence, it is plausible that during Indo-China and Indo-Pak war in 1962 and 1965 respectively, poker-faced Japan appeared nonchalant. Moreover, due to its parochial economic policies, India remained a picayune nation- marginal to Japanese economic priorities.
With the nefarious design of Cold War ebbing since 1990, combined with the Economic reforms of 1991 in India, India and Japan started appraising their relationship with peculiar alacrity. Tweaking its engagement with hitherto untended Asia-Pacific Region, India ushered in "Look East Policy", with Japan as the fulcrum of the policy. PVN Rao's visit to Japan in 1992 vindicated that Japan was the kernel of New Delhi's emerging foreign policy priorities.
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| Atal Bihari Vajpayee after the nuclear test on 11 may 1998 |
Worst could have followed if the fissures in the engagement were protracted. Fortunately, the controversy was ephemeral and a thaw had become apparent. Japan PM Mr. Mori's visit in 2000 and reciprocated visit by Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Japan in 2001 petered out the impasse and buried the hatchet. Bilateral relations were institutionalized, variegated issues such as Terrorism, Afghanistan, Economy, Environment etc were embodied. Fine-tuning of liaison between India & Japan underscored the manifestation of strategic semblance of Asia. Beginning of 21st century was, indeed, an epoch of robust ties between India and Japan.
It is not difficult to fathom that China's heyday during 2000s gave an inkling of post-American era with changing balance in Asia-Pacific. China, inexorably, was accentuating its economic-military prowess to achieve regional hegemony in Asia, and hence, was preventing the rise of other powers including India & Japan. Antithetical interpretation of history by Japan & China was a pesky spot between them. Meanwhile, China replaced US as Japan's biggest trading partner. China economic dominance made other states to kowtow to her.
The emergence of India and China as a global aspirant for next world power vouchsafed an intricate development in Asia's geopolitics. A log of economic and strategical conflicts has long deviled India's relationship with China. The growing antagonism was conspicuously evinced when China gainsaid the seat of India and Japan at United Nation Security Council. Consternation arising from the perverse rise of China as the dominant power in Asia led to the portentous transformation in Indo-Japan ties. An assertive China was an inducement to the USA to intervene in Asia power politics. Hence, USA emboldened Japan to hammer out political and strategic ties with neighbors like India and Australia.
The demise of USSR buttressed Indo-US ties which in turn spurred Japan to take cognizance of Indian foreign policy. Therefore, India and Japan audaciously vamped up their ties as well as the ties with others state in Asia to countervail China. In this way, the parlous state of the strategic environment in Aisa-Pacific has brought the two together.
At the same time, Japan economy hit the skids. PM Junichiro Koizumi proselytized the reforms by overhauling banking system, deregulating big business, opening up the economy and reorienting Japan Foreign policy. Despite its dwindling economy, Japan had no dearth of investible capital and remained fecund in high tech. India emerged as a beckoning market due to its consumer spending and cheap labor. India also mushroomed in internet business and knowledge intensive industries and known for its erudition in software development.
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| The $100 billion DMIC project, being executed with the assistance of the Japanese Government, is believed to be the largest infra project to be undertaken |
As Japan was mulling over diversifying its economic interest, India's economic growth made it ravenous for investment. To facilitate Japanese Companies entry, India set up its first Industrial park exclusively for Japanese investment. Maruki Suzuki was the most successful Indio-Japan business collaboration. A 100 billion dollars high tech and manufacturing freight corridor between New Delhi and Mumbai has 3rd of its bill being financed by Japan public and private money. Besides these strategic and economic stimuli, some domestic factors like Japan's aging population and India's growing skilled workforce gave a smidgen of impetus to Indo-Japan ties. Japan should expand immigration to draw in more foreign worker and India will be a major beneficiary if Japanese govt does decide to undertake immigration reforms.
India and Japan divvy up concernment in securing sea lanes for ensuring trade and energy security and to attenuate the hawkish attempt of any adversarial power to control regional waterways. Navies of both exercise regularly, the synergy between coast guard is snowballing- for combating piracy, terrorism and co-operating on disaster relief. When he visited India in 2007 and stoutly addressed the parliament, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was most ebullient about Indo-Japan ties. He put out feelers about broader Asia including India-Australia-Japan-US quad. A significant declaration on security co-operation was signed during Man Mohan Singh visit to Japan in 2008. Besides this, he was confabulated on Indo-Japan joint efforts in counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, Asia-pacific geopolitics etc.
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| In 2007, Abe became the first ever Japanese PM to address a joint session of Indian Parliament |
To be continued......
Bilateral Ties after 2008 & how personal charisma of Mr. Modi lead to a prudent rapport.
STAY TUNED😀😀
Its appreiable...bt kimdly use some practical words ..easy to understand..👍👍
ReplyDeleteThere is no use of reading an article which is easy to understand. We must try to learn and explore new things which are not understandable earlier by applying some efforts to understand them.
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