Indo - Japan Relations


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On Shinzo Abe's legacy.
 
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'Suganomics' and India-Japan economic ties: A seven-point plan

BY JAGANNATH PANDA
Oct 6, 2020
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What are the implications that "Suganomics" will have on the India-Japan partnership, both bilaterally and regionally? | Photo: REUTERS

One of the foremost challenges awaiting the new Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, is how to bring the Japanese economy — facing a crippling recession spurred in part by the COVID-19 pandemic — back on track. The debate is focused on the extent to which the new leadership in Tokyo can transition from "Abenomics" to "Suganomics" while building a competitive domestic environment. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister, invested heavily in the country’s economy.

His influence is reflected greatly in Japan’s foreign policy initiatives concentrated on forging greater trade and economic investment partnerships with Japan’s Indo-Pacific partners, especially India. This begs the question: What are the implications that Suganomics will have on the India-Japan partnership, both bilaterally and regionally ?

As Abe’s chief Cabinet secretary, Suga was an instrumental force behind the construction and implementation of Abenomics, leading to widespread speculation that his own economic policies — or Suganomics — will likely mirror that of his predecessor. Fiscal policy may be where Abe and Suga differentiate: While Abe pursued aggressive monetary easing, Suga may adopt a more moderate approach with spending reforms and fiscal tightening. Furthermore, there is going to be a general election come 2021 — an election which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) risks losing due to massive discontent among the public over Japan’s handling of the pandemic and economic uncertainty. Hence, it is likely that the LDP will want Suga to focus first on short-term prosperity to reclaim public support.

  • First, Suga’s primary aim as the new prime minister will be to deal with the ramifications of the pandemic through a more proactive fiscal policy and stimulus packages. With India too undergoing an economic crisis exacerbated by the pandemic (India’s GDP contracted by 23.9 percent in Q1 of 2020-21), both countries can find much room to coordinate domestic strategies. For instance, one of Suga’s key focus areas is strengthening local economies by providing increased support to small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). With India’s own renewed focus on MSMEs, New Delhi and Tokyo may find a robust area of synergy by which both can coordinate policies that mutually boost this industrial sector, particularly in terms of their stimulus packages to negate the impact of COVID-19.

  • Second, with greater MSME engagement, Suga can also look towards realizing his aim of supply chain resilience. In an interview in April 2020, Suga affirmed that diversifying manufacturing bases away from China was of critical importance. Abe made significant steps in this direction: earmarking $2.2 billion to incentivize companies to move production to Southeast Asia, and more recently India, as well as proposing to drive a Supply-Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) with India and Australia. In the coming months, India should focus on emerging as an attractive destination for Japanese businesses looking to diversify and employ a China+1 strategy. Such efforts align perfectly under India’s own “Make in India” campaign, and the newly announced Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative that Prime Minister Modi has introduced to rejuvenate the Indian economy.

  • Third, both countries may also find opportunities for greater cooperation in domestic initiatives aimed at boosting digital capabilities. Suga — who also has a background as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication — proposed the idea of consolidating IT infrastructure at federal and local government levels in order to offer the public streamlined digital services across all ministries and departments. In India too, there is a reassertion of the Digital India campaign, which was launched in 2015 to ensure online provision of governmental services across the country.

  • Fourth, Japan has an ageing population which, must be countered through a globally situated policy. Suga previously pushed for a program that encouraged more unskilled foreign workers to enter Japan by instituting a policy that offers them wages comparable to Japanese citizens — even overcoming strong resistance within his own party. Suga’s clear global focus can be an advantage for India and Indian talent as it may open more doors for educational and professional exchanges between citizens. A proactive step in this direction was taken on Sept. 25, 2020 when Modi and Suga held their first interaction via a telephone discussion. The two leaders finalized the text of the agreement pertaining to specialized skilled workers. Such an engagement need not be limited to people-to-people exchanges but may expand to a mixed approach that allows closer linkage with other national initiatives of both nations.

  • Fifth, a regional characterization, if not a global one, of India-Japan economic ties could be forged given Japan’s leadership experience in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). There exists potential for New Delhi and Tokyo to renegotiate the RCEP in favor of a people’s friendly market like India while ensuring a return for India to the RCEP at some point, which Abe was keen for. Abe’s attempts at promoting economic multilateralism, remained unfulfilled with respect to both RCEP and CPTPP; now, Suga must push these initiatives in order to solidify Japan’s post-COVID economic multilateralism aims and aspirations.

  • Sixth, Suga must not lose the momentum Abe built in terms of multilateral strategies. Under Abe, Japan was instrumental in re-establishing crucial security and economic mechanisms like Quad 2.0, the Expanded Partnership for Quality Infrastructure (EPQI) and the U.S.-Australia-Japan driven Blue Dot Network (BDN). With Chinese revisionism rising further, and Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative taking a different turn with New Silk Health diplomacy amidst COVID-19, India-Japan ties can reassert their multilateral connectivity and economic ambitions under the aegis of Quad 2.0 and Quad Plus mechanisms. India’s potential inclusion in BDN is also an idea that Suga should invest further in. Over their phone call, Modi and Suga agreed to boost ties based on mutual trust and shared values while emphasizing creation of resilient supply chains; such synergy is a positive mark for the budding Japan-India ties.

  • Seventh, it is realistic to note that a complete decoupling from China is not possible. However, a structured exodus of manufacturing and supply chains from China alongside enhanced efforts for improving ties with countries like Vietnam is necessary. In his first U.N. address, Suga spoke of proactively leading global post-pandemic recovery, marking the continued active presence of Japan internationally. Simultaneously, continuing with Abe’s move away from Japan’s pacifist Constitution, Suga and Modi must pursue global growth in their defense and maritime ties. This will reflect positively in their economic ties, with Japan looking to enter the global arms market while India too aims for defense indigenization under Make in India.

Suga will have to lead Japan through a tumultuous time until Japan’s 2021 general elections, in terms of both economic and security environments. He will thus have to invest heavily in maintaining, if not building, the personal camaraderie Abe shared with world leaders, including Prime Minister Modi. Even though India-Japan ties have been instituted within structured, progressive mechanisms, relying on these mechanisms will not be enough. Personal investment is key with the Abe-Modi legacy is a vivid example. Suga must carefully take forward the multi-faceted ties between India and Japan in order to build international and domestic support.

www.japantimes.co.jp

'Suganomics' and India-Japan economic ties: A seven-point plan

Suga's clear global focus can be an advantage for India and Indian talent as it may open more doors for educational and professional exchanges between citizens.
www.japantimes.co.jp
 
 
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Japan and India to hold 2-plus-2 talks with eye on China​

TOKYO -- Japan and India plan to hold a "two-plus-two" meeting of foreign and defense ministers here to discuss security cooperation as early as late April, as China ramps up activity in the East and South China seas.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi will participate in the talks with Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh. The two sides are expected to affirm they will work together toward a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The meeting will lay the groundwork for security discussions when Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a planned visit to India during Japan's long Golden Week holiday, which runs from late April to early May. Both countries are members of the security grouping known as the Quad, alongside the U.S. and Australia.


This will be the two countries' second two-plus-two meeting, following the first in November 2019 in India, as Tokyo and New Delhi build closer ties with an eye toward China. The two sides signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement last year to share resources such as food and fuel between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Indian military.

Japan has been focusing foreign-policy attention on the Quad, and looks to use the two-plus-two meeting to deepen its relationship with New Delhi. India, which traditionally avoids formal alliances and tries to keep its diplomatic relationships balanced, had been wary of being drawn into an effort to contain China.

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, right, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, center, attend a virtual Quad summit in March. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Last month, Japan issued its first official development assistance to India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The islands are situated at the mouth of the Malacca Strait and offer a front-row view of the world's most important chokepoint. While the assistance is for the installation of a battery energy storage system and not related to Japan having a presence on the islands, analysts said that the collaboration between the two countries there was significant and symbolic of the deepening ties.

Japan has also been conducting road-connectivity projects in Northeast India, in states such as Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura that border Bangladesh and Myanmar. The increased engagement in India's strategic peripheries could alarm China, analysts say.

The two-plus-two talks may end up taking place virtually instead of face to face. India's new daily coronavirus cases have soared above 100,000 to record levels, while Tokyo's central 23 wards are set to take extra measures to curb the spread of the virus between April 12 and May 11.

Japan and India to hold 2-plus-2 talks with eye on China

Defense and diplomatic chiefs to lay groundwork for Suga-Modi summit
asia.nikkei.com
 
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Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sustainable urban development​

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approvedthesigning of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Sustainable Urban Development between the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan, in supersession of existing MoU of 2007 on Urban Development.


Implementation strategy:


A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be constituted to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoC. The Joint Working Group will meet once in a year, alternately in Japan and in India.


The cooperation under this MoC will commence on the date of its signature and continue for a period of 5 years. Thereafter, it may be renewed automatically for further successive periods of 5 years at a time.


Major Impact:


The MoC will promote strong, deep and long-term bilateral cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development between the two countries.


Benefits:


The MoC is expected to create employment opportunities in the areas of sustainable urban development, including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Affordable Housing, (including rental housing), Urban Flood Management, Sewerage and Waste Water Management, Urban Transport (including Intelligent Transport Management System, Transit-Oriented Development and Multimodal Integration) and Disaster Resilient development.


Details:


The objectives of the MoC are to facilitate and strengthen India-Japan technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable urban development including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Affordable Housing (including rental housing), Urban Flood Management, Sewerage and Waste Water Management, Intelligent Transport Management System, Transit-Oriented Development, Multimodal Integration, Disaster Resilient development and other areas as mutually identified by both Sides. The proposed MoC will enable exchange of key learnings and best practices in the above-mentioned areas.

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sustainable urban development

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approvedthesigning of Memora
pib.gov.in
 

India and Japan renew bilateral swap arrangement of $75 billion

Essentially, BSA is a two-way arrangement where both authorities can swap their local currencies in exchange for dollars
www.business-standard.com

Kishida planning visit to India and Cambodia this month​

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making arrangements to visit India and Cambodia later this month for meetings with their leaders, a government source said Wednesday.

During his India visit planned for March 19 and 20, the source said, Kishida hopes to reaffirm with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the pursuit of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region as members of an informal grouping of four democracies known as “the Quad.”

Kishida will also exchange views with Modi about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. India, which depends on Russia for arms procurement, abstained from voting on a U.S.-led U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The two leaders may also discuss an Indian high-speed railway project that uses Japan’s shinkansen bullet-train technology.

The visit is still contingent on developments in the Ukraine crisis. But if Kishida does get to India, it would be the first trip to the South Asian country by a sitting Japanese premier since Shinzo Abe’s visit in 2017.

Japan and India are working with two other Quad members — the United States and Australia — to promote security cooperation amid China’s rising assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two countries are also marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

During a visit to Cambodia being arranged for March 20 and 21, Kishida will request in a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen that the Southeast Asian country fully support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the source.

Cambodia holds the rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year.

Kishida planning visit to India and Cambodia this month

The PM hopes to reaffirm with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the pursuit of a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific region as members of an informal grouping of four democracies known as 'the Quad.'
www.japantimes.co.jp
 
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