Japan has evinced its keen desire in enhancing Defence and security ties, including increased maritime interaction with India, in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the India-Pacific region besides robust economic relations and regional connectivity.
Conveying this during talks with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida emphasised on commonality of strategic interests between the two countries. He said Japan is willing to strengthen Defence and security cooperation, including maritime security.
Parrikar, who is on four-day visit starting last Sunday, said India considers relations with Tokyo of “great importance,” adding Japan is a privileged partner in the ‘Make In India’ initiative including the defence technology sector. India considers Japan an important partner and it was evident from the fact that Parrikar decided to visit Tokyo as his first foreign tour after assuming responsibility as the Defence Minister, he said.
India and Japan are looking at deepening bilateral defence cooperation amid Tokyo’s ongoing tussle with Beijing. Japan has been witnessing conflict with China over control of private islands in South China sea. A territorial dispute even exists between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, which Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu Islands.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who met Parrikar on Monday, had said “a strong” India-Japan partnership was not only in the “national interest of the two” but also “important for peace and security in the region.”