In a recent telephonic conversation, the Prime Minister of India and his Japanese counterpart engaged in discussions pertaining to a range of relevant matters, including high technology, skill development and collaborative efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Discussion on the Covid-19 Situation
The leaders underscored the significance of an intensified cooperation between India and Japan in weathering the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Working collectively to form resilient, diversified and reliable supply chains, ensuring a dependable supply of critical elements and technologies, as well as fostering new partnerships in manufacturing and skill development were among the many strategic actions suggested. The leaders also emphasized the urgency for the early implementation of the Specified Skilled workers (SSW) agreement to merge their strengths and arrive at mutually advantageous results. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project was cited as a stellar representation of their collaborative efforts.
Cooperation for Indo-Pacific
Both Prime Ministers reaffirmed the importance of bi- and multilateral collaborations, which include the Japan-Australia-India-US quadrilateral alliance, in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Possible Cooperation in Various Fields
Ideas were put forth about potential cooperation in numerous areas such as 5G, submarine cables, enhancing industrial competitiveness, diversification of supply chains and developmental projects in the northeastern state of India.
Recent Developments Between India and Japan
Of late, India, Japan and Australia officially initiated the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) as a strategic response to China’s dominance in the supply chain within the Indo-Pacific region. SCRI aims to introduce a virtuous cycle to improve supply chain resilience leading to strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the region. Moreover, Japan finalized loans and a grant amounting to around 233 billion yen for essential infrastructure projects in India which includes a project in Andaman and Nicobar islands. In 2020, India and Japan endorsed a logistics agreement, the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), facilitating cooperation in services and supplies between armed forces of both nations.
Evolution of India-Japan Relationship
India and Japan elevated their relationship to ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ status in 2014. The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that was implemented in August 2011 is all-encompassing, covering trade in goods, services, the movement of natural persons, investments, IP rights, custom procedures and other trade-related issues.
Defense Exercises and Future Collaboration
India and Japan’s defense forces routinely organize some bilateral exercises such as JIMEX (naval), SHINYUU Maitri (Air Force), and Dharma Guardian (Army). Both countries also join hands in the Malabar exercise (a naval exercise) along with the USA. More collaboration and cooperation hold immense potential for both nations, as India requires sophisticated technology from Japan. Joint ventures merging Japanese digital tech with Indian raw materials and labor could add substantial value. Close cooperation is deemed the most effective strategy to counterbalance China’s growing influence in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, both physically and digitally.