India-Japan 2+2 Dialogue
By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri
(Secy Gen, Assn for Democratic Socialism)
India and Japan held their 2+2 Dialogue on Tuesday in New Delhi. The Japanese delegation consisted of Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara Minoru as India was represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh. Although, Japan is going through a change of leadership, the critical 2+2 summit took place which shows the importance Tokyo attaches to New Delhi. It also underscores the necessity of strengthening the India-Japan axis for peace, security and prosperity of India-Pacific region. The necessity multiplies in view of the belligerence from Beijing that threatens security of the region.
Recall that Quad was created at the behest of Japan to secure India-Pacific against increasing threats from China. To be sure, Quad has put a hold on Chinese intentions at least for the time being. India and Japan having bigger stakes in the region will have to come even closer in order to consolidate Quad and eventually counter China’s aggression on their respective borders. This was reflected in the remarks made by Indian EAM, “the India-Japan partnership is set against a largest context of a free, open and rule-based Indo-Pacific and it will continue to grow amid China’s increasing military muscle flexing in the region”. Referring to the larger context of world peace and security, Jaishankar added that in a more volatile and unpredictable world today, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences.
The issues discussed in the meeting included defence and security cooperation which was the forerunner and the India-Pacific. Under defence and security, a key point of deliberation was the transfer of Japan’s United Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies to India. UNICORN is a stealth technology that will be fitted onboard Indian naval ships. The two sides explore future cooperation in the area of ship maintenance in India.
Significantly, the two sides agreed to explore coordination in the field of defence and security assistance to third countries for peace and stability in the India-Pacific region. They agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of space and cyber. The ministers also acknowledged and appreciated the successful completion of collaboration on Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)/Robotics.
The ministers on both sides shared their intention to update the 2008 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between the two countries. The revision of the declaration should reflect the contemporary security challenges facing both the countries. They acknowledged that this should be a logical development following the National Security Strategy of Japan adopted in December 2022.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral defence exercises including “Dharma Guardian”, Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) and Malabar. They also confirmed their cooperation in Quad and reaffirmed their resolve to take it further following the deliberations at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo held on July 29, 2024.
Furthermore, Japan expressed solidarity with India on terrorism that it faces continually. The summit unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and called for bringing the culprits of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot and other such attacks to justice. They also called for concerted international actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups.
On India-Pacific, the ministers highlighted their shared strategic vision towards a free and open India-Pacific. They expressed their strong support for ASEAN’s unity and full support for ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). As the Japanese ministers met Prime Minister Modi, a day before the 2+2 Dialogue, Modi highlighted the fact that India-Japan partnership has a crucial role to play in furthering peace and security in the India-Pacific. Modi hinted that the 2+2 Dialogue should expand the context beyond India-Pacific as the regional and global order is increasingly being complex.
The 2+2 Dialogue format was instituted in the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit held in Tokyo in October 2018. Both countries share a ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership which is now in its tenth year and is based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law. For the sake of quicker and smoother implementation of this partnership, the 2+2 Dialogue initiated by Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister late Shinzo Abe. This was the third India-Japan 2+2 Dialogue. Note that India has such format of dialogue with only a few countries that include United States, Australia and Russia.
It is during Shinzo Abe’s tenure which was the longest as the Prime Minister, the India-Japan relations really consolidated. The partnership has become almost indispensable given the vulnerable security landscape in the India-Pacific. China’s unilateralism on regional issues like South China Sea has upset other claimants. For example, Philippines went to International Court for Arbitration and secured a verdict in its favour in July 2016, China rejected it outright knowing that the Court lacked the enforcing power of its judgement.
Beijing’s continuous militarisation in the area and its muscle-flexing behaviour creates a sense of unease among the countries in the region. India and Japan are also facing Chinese undue and illegitimate aggression on their borders; Japan over the Senkaku Islands and India on more than one point on its border.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programmes have brought a new sense of volatility in the region. All efforts to bring North Korean President Kim Jong-un to a negotiating table for peace and disarmament have yielded no result. North Korea’s nuclearisation has prompted Japan and South Korea to rethink their nuclear options. It is said as Japan has been dead against nuclear weaponisation.
India-Japan relations go back a very long way in history, dating back to centuries. There have been multiple points of contact through culture, business, religion and so on. But what is relevant today is the evolution of the relation during the Congress regime after independence and later under the UPA. The bilateralism took a dramatic turn towards the consolidation under the tenure of Prime Minister Modi in India and Shinzo Abe in Japan and subsequently during successive governments in Japan as Modi continues in power in India. The kind of inter-personal relationship, both leaders developed contributed to the most remarkable deepening of the India-Japan relationship.
In building the partnership between India and Japan, defence and security seem to have taken the centre-stage. But the economic complementarities between both the countries cannot be missed. When it comes to enhancing economic fundamentals, both parties benefit. Bilateral relations in international politics are seldom viewed as a zero-sum game. Japan’s technology and investment has the potential to help India upgrade its infrastructure and manufacturing sector as India’s growing consumer market and investment requirements offer immense opportunities for Japan’s economy. Leaders on both sides are surely aware of this opportunity. — INFA