Japan and India's strategic ties vital for economy, security

The Yomiuri Shimbun

It is very significant that Japan and India have expanded their partnership in a variety of fields, including security and the economy, and have confirmed that they share strategic interests.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who visited India in late December, announced during the summit talks with his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, that Japan will extend loans of 4.5 billion dollars (350 billion yen) to promote the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project. The megaproject will involve the development of industrial complexes served by freight rail lines between the two cities.

Noda also asked Singh to use Japan's Shinkansen bullet train technology on the high-speed railway system India is planning to construct.

India plans to invest 1 trillion dollars (78 trillion yen) on infrastructure development over the next five years. Japan's assistance to its core element--development of the transportation system--will not only help India's economic growth but will also expand business opportunities for Japanese companies.

Their joint statement also stipulated a policy that Japanese and Indian companies will jointly develop rare earth minerals. This will open the way for Japan to reduce its dependence on China, a country that has been restricting its export of rare earths recently. We hope this policy will lead to securing a stable supply of rare earths for Japan.

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Security partnership

In the security field, Noda and Singh confirmed that the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy would conduct joint exercises in 2012. India occupies an important position on sea shipping lanes from the Middle East to Japan. As Noda said in his speech made before the summit talks, the safety of sea-lanes is directly related to the "vital interests" of both countries.

It is important to form partnerships not only between civilian officials but also between uniformed members of Japanese and Indian defense authorities. It could put a brake on the Chinese Navy's advances in the Indian Ocean.

Besides, we think it appropriate that the two leaders also agreed to make more efforts toward an agreement on peaceful nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries, which is still under negotiation.

India built up a nuclear arsenal in response to China's development of nuclear weapons. But the country has declared a suspension of nuclear weapons tests and is going to accept inspections of its civilian nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Based on India's policy stance, Noda said Japan would advance negotiations with the country on nuclear energy cooperation while paying due attention to nuclear arms reduction and nonproliferation.

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Nuclear cooperation mulled

If India clarifies that it would not use Japan's nuclear technology to develop nuclear weapons, the progress of bilateral negotiations would improve.

India, which is suffering from a chronic energy shortage, is trying to become a nuclear energy power. The country currently has about 20 nuclear reactors in operation and is planning to build an additional 20.

The United States and France are hoping to win orders for construction of nuclear reactors in India. Since they need reactor parts made in Japan, the two countries are encouraging Tokyo to conclude the agreement with India.

Japan should make a contribution to nuclear safety in India, putting lessons learned from the nuclear crisis caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami to good use. This would also add momentum to the development of Japan's nuclear reactor business.

Since 2005, Japanese and Indian prime ministers have alternately visited each other's country every year. We hope the two countries will continue meetings between their prime ministers and build even closer relations.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 31, 2011)

(Jan. 3, 2012)

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