India–Japan relations: Difference between revisions

India–Japan relations

India	Japan

India-Japan relations have always been strong. India has culturally influenced Japan through Buddhism. During the Indian Independence Movement, the Japanese Imperial Army helped Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. Relations have remained warm since India's independence. Japanese companies, like Sony, Toyota, and Honda, have manufacturing facilities in India, and with the growth of the Indian economy, India is a big market for Japanese firms. The most prominent Japanese company to have a big investment in India is automobiles giant Suzuki which is in partnership with Indian automobiles company Maruti Suzuki, the largest car manufacturer in India. In December 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan culminated in the signing of the "Joint Statement Towards Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership". Japan has funded many infrastructure projects in India, most notably in Delhi Metro subway system. Indian applicants were welcomed in 2006 to the JET Program, starting with just one slot available in 2006 and 41 in 2007. Also, in the year 2007, the Japanese Self Defence Forces took part in a naval exercise in the Indian Ocean, known as Malabar 2007, which also involved the naval forces of India, Australia, Singapore and the United States.

Cultural exchanges between India and Japan began early in the 6th century with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan from India. Buddhism and the intrinsically-linked Indian culture had a great impact on Japanese culture, still felt today, and resulted in a natural sense of amicability between the two nations.^[1]

As a result of the link of Buddhism between India and Japan, monks and scholars often embarked on voyages between the two nations. Ancient records from the now-destroyed library at Nalanda University describe scholars and pupils who attended the school from Japan.^[2]

Relations between the two nations have continued since then, but direct political exchange began only in the Meiji era (1868-1912), when Japan embarked on the process of modernization.^[3]

Japan’s emergence as a power in the early 20th century was positively viewed in India and symbolized what was seen as the beginning of an Asian resurgence. In India, there was great admiration for Japan’s post-war economic reconstruction and subsequent rapid growth.^[4]

As part of the British Empire, most Indians resented the British rule. As a result, during the two World Wars, most Indians adopted the "an enemy of our enemy is our friend" attitude. As a result, an alliance was formed between Japan and India. This alliance began to transcend political conveniences, exemplified at the close of World War II. At the Military Tribunal for the Far East, the sole dissenting judgment in favor of Japan was made by Indian Justice Radha Binod Pal. This became a symbol of the alliance between India and Japan. Many in Japan also remember India’s refusal to attend the San Francisco Peace Conference in 1951 and the signing of a separate Peace Treaty with Japan in 1952, in which India waived all reparation claims against Japan.^[4]

After World War II, Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April, 1952. This treaty was one of the first treaties Japan signed after World War II.^[1]

India and Japan were closely linked during the Indian independence movement. The alliance arose from talks between Japanese Lieutenant-General Renya Mutaguchi, Japanese War Minister Hideki Tojo, and Subash Chandra Bose, who led the Azad Hind, a militant movement which was dedicated to freeing India from British rule, and armed forces, the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army (INA). The INA was composed mainly of former prisoners of war from the British Indian Army who had been captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore and Indian expatriates in South East Asia, who had decided to join the Japanese war effort. Bose was eager for the INA to participate in any invasion of India, and persuaded several Japanese that a victory such as Mutaguchi anticipated would lead to the collapse of British rule in India. The idea that their western boundary would be controlled by a more friendly government was attractive.^[5] It would also have been consistent with the idea that Japanese expansion into Asia was part of an effort to support Asian government of Asia and against western colonialism.^[6][7]

The Japanese Government extensively supported the Indian National Army and the Indian Independence League during India's fight for independence. The Japanese did not seek to invade India; the idea that a more friendly government (i.e. Indian, rather than British) to their West was appealing to the Japanese government.^[8] Japanese forces fought alongside the Indian National Army in many battles, most notably at the U Go Offensive at Manipur. The offensive culminated in Battles of Imphal and Kohima where the Japanese and their allies were first held and then pushed back.

Diplomatic, trade, economic, and technical relations between India and Japan were well established since the 1950s. India's iron ore helped Japan's recovery from World War II devastation, and following Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi's visit to India in 1957, Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by Japanese government.^[1] Relations between the two nations were constrained, however, by Cold War politics. Japan, as a result of World War II reconstruction, was a U.S. ally, while India pursued a non-aligned foreign policy. Since the 1980s, however, efforts were made to strengthen bilateral ties. India’s ‘Look East’ policy posited Japan as a key partner.^[4] Since 1986, Japan has become India's largest aid donor, and remains so.^[1]

In August 2000, Japanese Prime Minister Mori visited India. At this meeting, Japan and India agreed to establish "Japan-India Global Partnership in the 21st Century." Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Japan in December, 2001, where both Prime Ministers issued "Japan-India Joint Declaration", consisting of high-level dialogue, economic cooperation, and military and anti-terrorism cooperation. In April, 2005, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi visited India and signed Joint Statement "Japan-India Partnership in the New Asian Era: Strategic Orientation of Japan-India Global Partnership" with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.^[1]

Japan is currently India’s third largest source of foreign direct investment; Japanese companies have made cumulative investments of around $2.6 billion in India since 1991. The 2007 annual survey conducted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation ranked India as the most promising overseas investment destination for Japanese companies over the long term. In recent years, Japan has assisted India in infrastructure development projects such as the Delhi Metro Rail Project. Both sides are also discussing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project and Dedicated Freight Corridor Projects on the Mumbai-Delhi and the Delhi-Howrah routes.^[4]

In October 2008, Japan signed an agreement with India under which it would provide the latter a low-interest loan worth US$4.5 billion to construct a railway project between Delhi and Mumbai. This is the single largest overseas project being financed by Japan and reflected growing economic partnership between the two.^[9] India is also one of the only three countries in the world with whom Japan has security pact, the other being Australia and the United States.^[10]

Trade between the two nations has also steadily been growing:^[1]

(Billions of USD)

India and Japan also have close military ties. They have shared interests in maintaining the security of sea-lanes in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, and in cooperation for fighting international crime, terrorism, piracy and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The two nations have frequently held joint military exercises and cooperate on technology.^[4]

Japan and India maintain strong cultural connections. The two nations announced 2007 as Japan-India Friendship Year, and help cultural events from both nations in both India and Japan.^[11]

Recently, Japan has also supported the reconstruction of the ancient Nalanda University, and has agreed to provide financial assistance, and recently approached the Indian government with a proposal.

• Foreign relations of India
• Foreign relations of Japan