India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Lalmohan
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Lalmohan »

strategically, a lot more people will prefer chahbahar than gwadar... its almost a no-brainer
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by schinnas »

Gwadar is purely a military + naval base for Cheen as part of their exapanding global ambitions and to encircle India. Except for China's north west region, it does not make financial sense. Goods from ME can be transferred to Eastern and Southern China (where most of Chinese population is and most of its economic and manufacturing activities lie) much more economically through current shipping routes. Transporting goods from western China to eastern china by road or rail is a non starter in terms of economic effectiveness. Gwadar does not provide anything new that Karachi port does not already provide.

Chahbahar on the other hand will be a successful trade hub with nominal birthing and maintenance rights for occasional Indian naval vessels and subs. Chahbahar will reduce whatever little theoretical economic potential that Gwadar port had.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by deejay »

^^^ China has a functional rail line to Iran. IMO, Gwadar is their military line both through land and through sea. I think, they will use Chabahar for trade as it is a more secure country to transit through. (Sorry OT here)
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco ... 724891.ece
Japan’s failure to push n-deal puts bullet train project on slow track
New Delhi, June 13:

India’s ambitious high-speed rail project with Japanese participation appears to have gone onto a slow track, evidently becoming a casualty of a perceived lack of progress on New Delhi’s proposal for a civil nuclear technology deal with Japan.

The buzz in diplomatic circles has it that India is waiting for the Japanese Diet to approve the proposal to transfer civil nuclear technology before it moves ahead with the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project with Japanese participation.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco ... 724850.ece
‘Japanese firms are worried over transfer pricing issues’
Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India, said Japanese firms are concerned with the Indian taxation regime as far as transfer pricing issues are concerned. In an interview with BusinessLine, he said it is not clear if the India-Japan Civil Nuclear Deal will be approved by their National Diet in the autumn session. Excerpts:.....{follow link above}
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by schinnas »

A_Gupta wrote:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco ... 724891.ece
Japan’s failure to push n-deal puts bullet train project on slow track
New Delhi, June 13:

India’s ambitious high-speed rail project with Japanese participation appears to have gone onto a slow track, evidently becoming a casualty of a perceived lack of progress on New Delhi’s proposal for a civil nuclear technology deal with Japan.

The buzz in diplomatic circles has it that India is waiting for the Japanese Diet to approve the proposal to transfer civil nuclear technology before it moves ahead with the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project with Japanese participation.
This might explain why all of a sudden Fadnavis government is up in arms against alloting land to underground terminal for Ahmedabad - Mumbai HSR.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Gagan »

Once chahbahar is up and running smoothly, even Massa will jump in to utilize it to access Afghanistan and beyond.
It will be the main hub of trade between Central Asia with India, SE Asia and Africa. That is how big Chabahar is going to be!
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Indian real estate may attract $2 billion investment from Japan - PTI
Japanese developers and private equity investors are looking to enter Indian property market and could invest at least USD 2 billion over the next three years in residential as well as industrial projects, says JLL.

Realty consultant JLL India said in a report that the country is emerging as major investment destination for Chinese and Japanese developers.

China's biggest developer Wanda has signed an MoU with Haryana government earlier this year and more developers from China and Japan are expected to enter the Indian realty market, it said.

Private equity investors from these two countries are also looking at entering India's real estate sector, it added.

"Japanese developers are keen to explore strategic partnerships and enter into joint ventures with Indian builders, and are particularly interested in industrial projects. There is likely to be an inflow of at least USD 2 billion in investments from Japan into the Indian real estate market over the next three years," JLL India Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri said.

After 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) was allowed into the real estate industry, it was only a matter of time before foreign developers made big investment announcements, he said.
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Japanese expertise for building bridges - The Hindu
Japanese engineers referred by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will pitch in with advanced technology to build bridges and flyovers in the city.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has made various proposals pertaining to bridges and flyovers to reduce traffic congestion in the city. But the projects failed to take off in the past four years owing to a fund crunch. Following a meeting on Monday, JICA is expected to fund bridges and flyovers in congested parts of the city.

“The engineers from Japan have suggested new technology to reduce cost, noise pollution and damage to buildings in congested neighbourhoods during the construction of flyovers and bridges,” said an official of the Greater Chennai Corporation.

Residents of areas such as T. Nagar, Kotturpuram, K.K. Nagar and Nungambakkam are expected to benefit from this alternative technology
during the construction of flyovers in these congested areas. Noise pollution and damage to buildings in the vicinity were major concerns voiced by residents during public consultations conducted for the projects.

The flyovers are expected to reduce congestion on Usman Road, College Road, Sterling Road, Valluvar Kottam High Road Junction, Arcot Salai, K.K. Nagar 80 feet Road, Mandaveli Junction near Mandaveli Bus Stand Junction, Gandhi Mandapam Salai and Ponniamman Koil Salai junction, Kotturpuram.

In October 2015, the Chennai Corporation Council approved a project that involves construction of an elevated corridor at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore connecting Anna Salai and Mahalingapuram, along the contiguous South and North Usman Road stretch.

The project, which is estimated to cost Rs. 300 crore, was originally expected to be implemented in two stages. On completion of the corridor, vehicles will be able to reach Anna Salai from Loyola College in two minutes. This project may now be taken up.

Similarly, a major flyover to ease congestion between Ega Theatre and Thirumalai Pillai Road has been hanging fire. Funding was a major hurdle in implementation of the bridges’ project, said an official of the Chennai Corporation.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Japan’s Defence White Paper 2016: An Overview - Titli Basu, IDSA
Two important developments took place in Japan in August – release of annual defence white paper ‘Defence of Japan 2016’, and the appointment of right-wing leader Tomomi Inada as the new defence minister following the cabinet reshuffle. Looking at these two developments in the backdrop of the July upper house election, which provided impetus to the pro-revision elements1 , the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea, which fell inside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)2 in the Sea of Japan, and the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on South China Sea appears to have infused a fresh momentum to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s agenda of redefining the Japanese security outlook, a process initiated after he assumed power in late 2012.

Furthering the premise of an increasingly severe security environment around Japan, with “destabilising factors becoming more tangible and acute”,3 the latest defence white paper has accorded relatively more space to Japan’s ‘strong concerns’ over China’s ‘active maritime expansion’ as well as progress in North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development programme, compared to the previous white paper.4 It has also articulated the criticality of the Legislation for Peace and Security, which came into effect in March 2016, in enhancing deterrence, reinforcing the Japan-US alliance, security cooperation with other nations within the framework of Proactive Contribution to Peace, policy initiatives and measures aimed at strengthening defence industry and boosting the development of defence technology.

Notably, the 2016 white paper upgraded the Japanese threat perception vis-à-vis China by replacing ‘concern’ with ‘strong concern’5 over what Tokyo regards as China’s ‘heavy-handed’ attitude in the maritime and airspace. Under Abe’s leadership, Japan has consistently critiqued China’s unilateral claims and effort at forcefully changing the status quo. Since September 2012, Japanese foreign ministry has claimed that Chinese ships have been traversing the waters adjoining the Senkaku Islands more frequently. Following the permanent court of arbitration’s recent ruling on the South China Sea, Japan has been emphasising, both individually and within trilateral frameworks such as the Japan-US-Australia Trilateral Strategic Dialogue, the significance of safeguarding the rules-based maritime order including in the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean.6

In recent weeks, Japan has registered strong protest against the increasing number of Chinese ships entering into the waters around the Senkaku Islands.7 Earlier in June, defence ministry claimed that a Jiangkai I-class frigate and a Dongdiao-class intelligence collection vessel of the Chinese Navy had entered the Japanese contiguous zone on separate occasions. Furthermore, as stated in the white paper, Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) had to scramble fighter aircrafts 571 times against Chinese jets.8 In fact, while outlining the Japanese expectations, the 2016 white paper urges Beijing to act responsibly and conform to the international rules.


Regarding the defence of remote islands, Japanese strategy has been to focus on positioning units, intensifying intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in peacetime and acquiring maritime and air superiority.9 In January this year, Japan established the ninth Air Wing at its Naha Air Base to further enhance its defence posture in the south-western region. Two F-15 fighter squadrons are now hosted by this base.10 Two months later, in March, a coast observation unit was instituted at Yonaguni, the westernmost inhabited island of the country. Japan further plans to create an Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, equipped with fixed wing patrol aircrafts (P-1) and patrol helicopters (SH-60K) in its south-western region. In addition, to facilitate transportation and deployment of units, Japan plans to focus on improving Osumi class transport LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) and introducing V-22 Ospreys.

Meanwhile, summarising the key aspects of the latest white paper, Japan’s former Defence Minister Gen. Nakatani stated at a press conference held on August 02, just a day before he was replaced by Inada, that Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development programme pose “a grave and imminent threat to the security not only of Japan but also of the region surrounding the country and the international community.”11 The 2016 white paper clearly referred to the technological sophistication achieved by North Korea and argued that it is likely to have succeeded in miniaturising its nuclear weapons and building nuclear warheads.

The white paper noted that North Korea has “shown readiness to acquire technologies to make practical use of new intermediate- and long-range ballistic missiles and make them more sophisticated, presenting serious concerns for Japan and other relevant countries.”12 Given the situation, Japan is advancing its capabilities to intercept and defend against ballistic missiles. It is also engaged in joint research with the US on developing modified types of SM-3 and PAC-3. As regards SM-3 Block ⅡA, it is in its final stages and is expected to be complete by 2017.

Alliance with the US however remains the ‘cornerstone’ of the Japanese security. The revised Guidelines for US-Japan Defence Cooperation, which constitutes the nucleus of the security alliance, has added qualitative depth to the security partnership.13 The 2016 white paper argues that the alliance serves as a ‘public good’ that caters to the goal of the Asia-Pacific stability. Today, the need to shoulder greater responsibility and to sustain the alliance with the US is more pressing for Japan than ever before owing to the geo-political complexity arising from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s push for a new model of great power relations with the US. Meanwhile, in view of the treaty obligation, the fear of possible entrapment in the East China Sea is also very much prevalent among a section of the US strategic community. This is in addition to the budgetary constraints which will shape the future US commitment towards the region.

At the regional level, both China and South Korea have reacted sharply to the Japanese defence white paper. Chinese defence ministry spokesperson has described the white paper as “full of lousy clichés”, “full of malice” and “irresponsible remarks” against China. Expressing “strong dissatisfaction” and “resolute opposition”, the spokesperson alleged that the white paper deliberately “hypes up the East and South China Sea issues” in order to “sow discord” among China’s neighbours. It was categorically stated that “the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is never a problem”. The spokesperson denied that China is “changing the status quo in the South China Sea by relying on its strength”. With regard to contesting claims over parts of the East China Sea, the Chinese spokesperson asserted that Beijing’s military actions are “absolutely based on the indisputable fact that the Diaoyu Dao belongs to China.”14

Over the years, China has claimed that Abe has engineered a China threat theory to validate his militarist drive among the Japanese electorate.
Meanwhile, South Korea too has registered a strong protest against Japanese claims over the sovereignty of Dokdo/Takeshima Islands in its annual defence white paper. South Korean defence ministry had summoned the Japanese defence attaché in Seoul and underscored the need for Japan to undertake “corrective measures.”15 It is to be noted that Japan had been laying claim over Dokdo Islands in its annual defence white papers since the Koizumi era. Both China and South Korea have urged Japan to reflect on history and make sincere attempts to build mutual trust and facilitate the strengthening of bilateral relations in the larger interest of peace and stability in the region.

Japan under Prime Minister Abe has certainly witnessed tectonic shifts in its post-war security policy: enabling limited exercise of collective self-defence, escalation in defence expenditure, reorganisation of security structures including establishment of institutions such as the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), gearing up the R&D for achieving technological superiority and promoting security cooperation with other nations.

Japan’s ongoing effort at bolstering its deterrent capabilities is bound to raise anxiety levels in a region that has long suffered from complex historical baggage, intensified nationalism and persistent tension around fiercely contested geopolitical hotspots. As the US expects Japan to assume greater responsibilities, a key challenge before Abe is to define in unambiguous terms the scope and limits of his vision of Japan as a Proactive Contributor to Peace – basically, maintaining the delicate balance between sharing greater burden in ensuring regional security as part of the long-standing alliance with the US, on one hand, and factoring in regional sensitivities as well as its own deeply fractured domestic constituencies, on the other.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Bhurishravas »

Shinzo Abe is working to improve relations with Russia.
Japan has created a new ministry to focus on improving ties with Russia.
Abe also proposed an annual summit meeting in Vladivostok.
In fact Putin and Abe have met 13 times in last 3 years.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Need India in NSG to promote non-proliferation: Japan - Sachin Parashar, ToI
As China refuses to let go of its opposition to India's Nuclear Suppliers Group+ (NSG) membership bid, Japan has reiterated support+ for India saying its presence in NSG will help promote non-proliferation.

In its first official comments over the issue after the Indian bid collapsed in the face of Chinese resistance+ in the Seoul NSG meeting earlier this year, top Japanese foreign ministry told TOI in an exclusive interaction that they continued to work with India to make its membership possible.

"We intend to continue working with India on the issue as we believe its membership of NSG will help strengthen the non-proliferation regime+ ," said Yasuhisa Kawamura, the Director-General of Press and Public Diplomacy in Japan's ministry of foreign affairs, adding that Japan will continue to discuss the issue with other member states.

While Kawamura said China's conduct in blocking India's membership was obvious to all, he added Japan did not want to make any comment on consultations within NSG over the issue. "The fundamental issue is to ensure consensus building and we are working for it," said Kawamura, who served as Japan's deputy chief of mission in Delhi until a few years ago.

Another old India hand in in Japan's ministry of foreign affairs and senior regional coordinator in southwest Asia division, Masayuki Taga, said India's membership will help Japan promote non-proliferation.


While supporting India's bid, Japan remains unwavering in its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and Kawamura, in fact, said Japan as a "general sentiment" will continue to ask India to sign the Treaty. Tokyo, however, has not allowed India's NPT non-signatory status to come in the way of its cooperation with New Delhi for the latter's presence in NSG.

This is in complete contrast to China, which is accused of violating both NPT and NSG guidelines in supplying nuclear technology to its ally Pakistan, while using the same to juxtapose India's claim with that of Islamabad. China says India's presence in NSG will weaken the international non-proliferation regime but was itself accused recently by Arms Control Association of contradicting the 2010 NPT consensus, which forbids transfer of nuclear materials to countries which are not under full-scope IAEA safeguards, in sharing nuclear technology with Pakistan.

When asked about Pakistan's bid, Kawamura and other officials said India, unlike some other countries, had already made efforts to strengthen export control regime. "There are some countries which need to make more efforts," said Kawamura.

India's unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing is one such effort, he said. That, in fact, was also the basis for Japan's decision to sign a pact with India for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Amid reports that the MoU signed had run into technical difficulties, Japan said it was convinced that things were moving in the right direction.

"I have a positive sense that we are making appropriate efforts," said Kawamura. Japan is currently legally vetting the pact signed and after some clarifications will look to sign the final agreement. The agreement will then have to be passed by Japan's Diet.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Haresh »

'Haafu' and proud: Miss World Japan won by mixed-race contestant

Priyanka Yoshikawa, whose father is Indian, says she was inspired by Ariana Miyamoto, the 2015 Miss Universe Japan winner who faced racial backlash


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... econd-year
Neshant
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Neshant »

I think they let her win just to be politically correct due to the 2015 Miss Universe Japan controversy.
SSridhar
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by SSridhar »

Neshant, why do you think it couldn't have been on merit?
Yayavar
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Yayavar »

Question: how to last names go in Japan. Priyanka's last name - Yoshikawa - sounds completely Japanese not desi. Did she choose mother's or that is the standard way?
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Cosmo_R »

Gagan wrote:Once chahbahar is up and running smoothly, even Massa will jump in to utilize it to access Afghanistan and beyond.
It will be the main hub of trade between Central Asia with India, SE Asia and Africa. That is how big Chabahar is going to be!
When Chahbahar is up and running pakistan becomes irrelevant. Materiel and personnel can exit/enter Afghanistan without northern distribution route or Karachi.

It's a big deal.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Modi meets Abe in Laos - PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe after arriving here and discussed ways to strengthen strategic bilateral ties.

“Discussing stronger ties with Japan...PM Narendra Modi meets Japan PM Shinzo Abe,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted as the almost 45 minutes-long bilateral talks began.

Modi will attend the 14th ASEAN India Summit and 11th East Asia summit tomorrow. He will also have bilaterals with leaders of Myanmar and South Korea. There could be more “pull aside” talks tomorrow with leaders, officials said.

This is Modi’s second meeting with Abe in less than six months. They had met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April.
×

Earlier, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the two leaders are likely to discuss cooperation in the defence sector.

Japan’s maritime self-defence force and the Indian and US navies conducted Malabar joint maritime security exercises in June and Japanese and Indian defence ministers agreed in July to repeat the joint drill next year.

The leaders are also expected to discuss investment and other economic cooperation, the report said.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Prem »

http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/long-ove ... lear-deal/
Long Overdue: India and Japan Are Ready for a Full-Fledged Civil Nuclear Deal
Closer cooperation between Japan and India on a range of issues is more and more plausible today than in the past. Japan-India civil nuclear cooperation, in particular, is a good example of an area with immense promise. At a bilateral summit in New Delhi last December, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a memorandum of agreement on civil nuclear cooperation. And on August 14, 2016, Japan’s Yomiuri reported that both prime ministers will conclude a full-fledged nuclear cooperation agreement in November 2016.
Before the two sides can conclude a nuclear cooperation pact, they must resolve their differences over key issues, such as Japanese companies’ liability for nuclear accidents, the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (important because the plutonium produced through reprocessing of nuclear fuel can be used in nuclear weapons), and the consequences of any future testing of nuclear weapons by India. Despite these thorny issues, it is likely that this agreement will be one of the most important strategic developments for the entire Indo-Pacific balance.


From an economic standpoint, an agreement on the transfer of civil nuclear technology between Japan and India is vital to India’s continued economic growth. India’s economy began to develop rapidly not long after its government overhauled and liberalized its economy in the early 1990s. But energy is the booming Indian economy’s Achilles’ heel. In 2013, India overtook Japan as the world’s third-largest importer of crude oil. Given the current state of technology, nuclear power is the only realistic means of ensuring a steady supply of energy to meet the nation’s burgeoning demand for electric power without producing large-scale carbon emissions.This is not India’s problem alone. Just as China’s economic slowdown has affected the many countries around the world that trade with China, Japan and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region have a large stake in the Indian economy. A Japan-India nuclear agreement is an essential accomplishment to ensure the steady growth of India’s economy and, by extension, that of the entire region.

Some would argue that the Japanese government should not enter into a civil nuclear agreement with a country that has not committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). India never signed the treaty and maintains that it is arbitrary and unfair to acknowledge the right of China to possess nuclear weapons, but to deny the same right to India simply because it began testing its weapons a decade later. However, if one considers the matter carefully, it becomes clear that civil nuclear cooperation between Japan and India will have virtually no negative impact on the nonproliferation regime.First of all, India has demonstrated a firm commitment to nonproliferation principle in practice. It clearly differs from countries like North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran, which have conducted shady dealings on the “nuclear black market.” If India continues to control its nuclear technology as carefully as it has for the past half-century, cooperation on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes should not undermine the NPT regime. This is why eleven countries have already signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with India, namely, the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, and Namibia.

Secondly, even if the international community admits to India’s status as the “sixth nuclear great power” along with the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China, it is feasible that other great powers will not claim the “seventh” or “eighth” position in the near future. North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran have all disqualified themselves by their involvement in illicit trading of nuclear technology. Other countries that may have had nuclear weapons programs in the past (such as South Korea, Taiwan, Libya, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa) have already shut them down. Although Israel is assumed to have nuclear weapons, it has a longstanding policy of refusing to publicly affirm the fact.Regardless of these international trends, some in Japan nonetheless argue that the country, as the only nation to experience atomic bombings, must maintain exceptionally rigorous anti-proliferation standards. But the truth of the matter is that India’s nuclear policies are very similar to Japan’s. Both countries are committed to the “total elimination of nuclear weapons,” as they reaffirmed in last December’s joint statement. At the same time, both countries realistically acknowledge the need for nuclear deterrence in today’s world—India with its own nuclear weapons and Japan under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.When China began testing nuclear weapons in 1964, both Japan and India were deeply alarmed. Japanese policymakers weighed the idea of developing an independent nuclear capability—possibly in cooperation with West Germany—but such a step was ultimately deemed unnecessary on the grounds that the U.S. “nuclear umbrella” afforded sufficient deterrence. What few people realize is that, as Stephen P. Cohen recounts in his 2001 book India: Emerging Power, India also appealed to the United States, USSR, United Kingdom, and France for a nuclear umbrella but they declined India’s request. Developing nuclear weapons itself was the only option left for India.
Nonproliferation issues aside, a Japan-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement has important strategic implications. Japan and India share deep concerns over China’s growing presence and its expanding influence in the East China Sea, South China Sea, Indo-China border, and Indian Ocean. And, in this case, countries in the Indo-Pacific region are concerned regarding how much longer they can rely on U.S. power alone. Between 2000 and 2015, China added 42 new submarines to its fleet while the United States commissioned just 13. Japan and India need to cooperate to fill the gap left by a declining U.S. presence in the region.In addition to military power, the export of infrastructure is one of the tools that China has used to bring these countries under its sway. The urgency of this is underlined by the fact that China is exporting nuclear plants to Pakistan. Hence, through the civil nuclear deal, Japan should cooperate with India to counterbalance against China’s activities to maintain the Asian power balance and dissuade China’s assertiveness.
Overall, given the economic, nonproliferation, and regional power balance issues examined above, it is clear that full-fledged Japan-India civil nuclear cooperation is fundamentally a development to be welcomed. The question remains regarding whether India is likely to conduct further testing of nuclear weapons and how such tests would impact the bilateral agreement.India has said that it already has all the test data it needs to ensure the performance of its nuclear weapons. However, if it turns out that the data is insufficient, then further tests might be needed in order to maintain India’s nuclear deterrent capability.If India were to conduct a nuclear test, nuclear cooperation between Japan and India—even for peaceful purposes—would become untenable, since there would be no assurance that resources provided by Japan had not been diverted to India’s nuclear weapons program. The depth of Japan’s concern over this can be gathered from the inclusion of the following item in the December 2015 Japan-India joint statement: “Prime Minister Abe stressed the importance of early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which should lead to nuclear disarmament.”Unfortunately, the CTBT can only go into effect after all 44 states listed in Annex 2 of the treaty have ratified it and eight of those states have yet to do so. But the fact that Japan insisted on including this reference in the joint statement is an indication of its concern over the possibility of future testing. India needs to respect Japan’s worries on this point.Provided that India appreciates the need to refrain from nuclear testing, civil nuclear cooperation could well become the basis for a long-term cooperative relationship with major benefits. Such a development would give true meaning and substance to the idea of a “special strategic and global partnership” that Tokyo and New Delhi claim to enjoy.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Japan expresses interest in Chabahar, says no need to stay confined to India's northeast - Sachin Parashar, ToI
In a likely leg up to India's efforts to increase connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, Japan for the first time has officially suggested that it could consider partnering India in developing the Chabahar port project in Iran.

In an exclusive interaction with TOI , Japan foreign ministry said it will positively consider any proposal to improve connectivity in the region.
India signed a tripartite agreement this year with Iran and Afghanistan hoping to develop the Chabahar port into a transit hub which would help them bypass Pakistan. India has committed $500 million for development of the port, seen as a counterweight to China's Gwadar port in Pakistan.

"In principle, we are interested in improving connectivity. If there is some proposal for improving connectivity from Iran to Central Asia and Afghanistan, we may think positively," said Masayuki Taga, senior regional coordinator with Japan foreign ministry's southwest division. He added though that there was no confirmation about "any concrete project" yet.

Significantly, the official said Japan's efforts to improve connectivity didn't necessarily have to remain confined to India's northeast and could expand to the region beyond India's western border.

The official was referring to Japan's ODA loans to India for improving road connectivity network in northeastern states.

The official also recalled the joint statement issued by the two countries after the visit of Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year in December which had said that he and his counterpart Narendra Modi had decided to develop and strengthen "reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructures that augment connectivity within India and between India and other countries in the region".


Any involvement of Japan in the Chabahar port project will come as a shot in the arm for India amid renewed talk about strategic encirclement of India by China.

As the December 2015 joint statement said, India and Japan have a high degree of congruence of political, economic and strategic interests and view each other as partners "that have responsibility for and are capable of responding to global and regional challenges".

Japan is said to be considering building an industrial complex in Chabahar which, according to strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney, will be a win-win initiative for both countries.

According to Brahma Chellaney, Chabahar has greater potential than Gwadar to emerge as a key shipping hub. An India-Japan partnership on Chabahar will help counter the strategic significance of the expanding Chinese footprint in Gwadar, he said.
I hope Indian construction activity is going apace in Chahbahar because there is a tough timeline and our execution has always been poor as we have seen in highway connectivity project in our east.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by SSridhar »

India-Japan ties get a leg-up as Modi meets Abe - PTI
India and Japan on Wednesday pledged to strengthen ties in the key areas of counter-terrorism, civil nuclear cooperation, trade and investment as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe here [Vientiane].

Mr. Modi, in his talks at the National Convention Centre here, conveyed his condolences to Abe for the Japanese lives lost in the recent terror attack in Bangladesh when 22 people were killed after Islamist militants stormed a cafe popular with foreigners.

Mr. Abe said Japan was not going to succumb to terrorism and expressed the desire to further strengthen cooperation with India in the area of counter-terrorism, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said after the 45-minute meeting.

Mr. Modi held talks with Mr. Abe after arriving in the Laotian capital to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summits that will take place on Thursday.

The two leaders discussed further strengthening and diversification of trade and investment ties.

Prime Minister Modi noted that Japan had technology and innovation while India had the power of youth and a huge market.


Win-win partnership

The India-Japan partnership could, therefore, produce global products and be a win-win partnership for both, Mr. Modi said.

The two leaders discussed the upcoming Japanese industrial parks in India and the cooperation in the area of ship breaking.

They also reviewed the progress in the India-Japan Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement negotiations and the high-speed rail project
, Mr. Swarup said.

PM hails Japanese aid

Mr. Modi appreciated the consistent support rendered by Japan in India’s infrastructure development, technology upgradation and skill-building.

Premier Abe recalled that 2017 will mark the 60th anniversary of the Japan-India cultural agreement. He hoped to see more Indian tourists visiting Japan.

The leaders also discussed regional issues and international developments. Mr. Abe said that he was looking forward to Mr. Modi’s visit to Japan for the annual summit and expressed hope that it would promote a new era of Indo-Japan cooperation. This is Mr. Modi’s second meeting with Mr. Abe in less than six months. They had met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April. — PTI
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Japan may cut price to ink aircraft deal with India - Sachin Parashar, ToI
Japan is negotiating the sale of Shinmaywa US-2 search and rescue aircraft with India not for any economic gain but because it considers India a friendly country, Tokyo has said amid reports that the deal for 12 amphibious aircraft had collapsed over pricing and technology transfer issues.

Top Japanese defence ministry sources told TOI in an exclusive interaction that they would look at reducing the price for the $ 1.6 billion aircraft deal ?as much as possible, in a fresh attempt to revive the negotiations.

The agreement, if it happens, will have a huge symbolic significance as a message to China about deepening defence and security cooperation between India and Japan, both victims of Chinese territorial aggression.

"Our position is that if this agreement happens, it will have a very favourable impact on our relations with India,'' said a Japanese defence ministry official.

"We understand there are some consultations underwayin India over pricing. Pricing is determined by several factors. We are not doing this for economic gains but for our friendly relations with India and can look at reducing the price to the extent possible," added the official.

Japan is now hoping that there will be some progress in negotiations by the time PM Narendra Modi visits Tokyo later this year for the annual summit meet.
Known for its short takeoff capability, the aircraft was meant to be deployed in the Andaman Nicobar Islands.

After Japan overturned its self-imposed 1967 ban on export of arms in 2014, India was expected to become the first country to purchase defence equipment from Japan with an agreement for US-2 aircraft {but Philippines became that first country}. India and Japan had last year, after the summit meeting between Modi and his counterpart Shinzo Abe, signed an agreement for transfer of defence equipment and technology.

The 2 leaders {I didn't expect this twitter-like usage in mainline media reporting that too from a senior journalist and it has passed through editorial oversight too} had then said that they wanted to to deepen the bilateral defence relationship through two-way collaboration and technology cooperation, co-development and co-production. They had also expressed an intention to explore ``potential future projects on defence equipment and technology cooperation such as US-2 amphibian aircraft''.

The negotiations for the aircraft though were left in limbo with serious differences over pricing and India's demand that the aircraft come with state-of-the -art surveillance technology. Japanese officials, however, said there was no sensitive technology involved with the US-2 and wanted to treat it as a regular search and rescue seaplane only. India also wants co-production here as the government believes it can provide an impetus to the Make in India initiative. According to Japanese defence ministry officials, manufacturing in India would be feasible only if the agreement comprised sale of a certain number of aircraft. ``If the number is too few, it would not be cost effective for India,'' said the official.

Maritime security is one of the key areas in Japan's cooperation with India. Japan, which is now participating regularly in India's Malabar exercise with the US, has encouraged India to speak up on issues related to South China Sea. Japan is currently having to contend with an increasing assertive China in East China Sea where Chinese vessels continue to enter Japanese territorial waters in large numbers. While the Chinese coast guard have repeatedly ventured into Japan's contiguous zone and territorial seas near Senkaku (Chinese call it Diaoyu) islands, a Chinese navy vessel entered the contiguous zone for the first time in June this year. Japanese authorities see this as fresh escalation by China.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by Suraj »

Yayavar wrote:Question: how to last names go in Japan. Priyanka's last name - Yoshikawa - sounds completely Japanese not desi. Did she choose mother's or that is the standard way?
Yoshikawa is a Japanese name. The Japanese spouse's surname is often preferred for ease of adding to the koseki, which is part of their birth registration process. But it's upto the couple. Some choose the Japanese name. Others give the kid both parents' surnames as middle and last names.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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India is seeking to enhance its influence in Nepal with the turned-around Prachanda, who was once vehemently anti-Indian, through two big-time projects of an east-west railway line to India and a big hydroelectric project. India must get Japan ODA assistance, which they are keen to provide to projects in the east of India. More often than not, it is funding that is a major issue and India-Japan would nicely complement each other. Japan has been showing a willingness to improve connectivity in the region. See this above.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/japan-se ... volvement/
Japan Set to Intensify South China Sea Involvement
Despite Chinese warnings, Japan isn’t about to leave the South China Sea.
In recent remarks, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada reiterated the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) intention to continue cooperation with the United States in the South China Sea. In a speech delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC-based think tank, earlier this week, Inada also expressed concerned about China’s behavior in the East and South China Seas.
Inada outlined three particular areas where Japan will continue to deepen its involvement in the South China Sea:
Japan on its part will increase its engagement in the South China Sea through, for example, Maritime Self Defense Force joint training cruises with the U.S. Navy, bilateral and multi-lateral exercises with regional navies, as well as providing capacity building assistance to coastal nations.
Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.
“I would like to underline my government’s resolve to protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” said Inada. “To this end, we will continue our own defense efforts and also maintain and enhance the Japan-U.S. alliance.”
Inada, newly appointed as defense minister and the second woman to hold that post in Japan, has been described as a potential candidate to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.....
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-india-j ... 1466005545
U.S., India, Japan Begin to Shape New Order on Asia’s High Seas
The three democracies are pursuing closer ties and military cooperation to counter an assertive China
By GORDON FAIRCLOUGH
Updated June 15, 2016 11:54 p.m. ET
56 COMMENTS
NEW DELHI—From the waters of the Philippine Sea this week emerged a partial outline of Washington’s vision for a new Asian maritime-security order that unites democratic powers to contend with a more-assertive and well-armed China.
A U.S. Navy aircraft-carrier strike group along with warships from India and Japan jointly practiced anti-submarine warfare and air-defense and search-and-rescue drills in one of the largest and most complex exercises held by the three countries.
The maneuvers were being tracked by a Chinese surveillance vessel, a U.S. Navy officer aboard the carrier USS John C. Stennis said on Wednesday. Last week, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Beijing hoped the training “will be conducive to regional peace, security and stability.”
Washington and Tokyo have long cooperated closely on defense. And the U.S. has been working to deepen strategic ties with India and to encourage New Delhi to play a more active role, not just in the Indian Ocean but also in the Pacific, as China’s rise shifts the regional balance of power.
“Americans are looking for those who can share the burden,” said C. Raja Mohan, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s India center. A strengthened three-way partnership among the U.S., Japan and India is “an important strategic shift.”
India, which is proud of its tradition as a nonaligned state, is unlikely to agree to any formal military alliance. But the countries already have a trilateral ministerial dialogue process that began last year.
Cementing those relationships has been an important U.S. objective as it grapples with what American officials have called China’s growing “militarization” of the South China Sea, where Beijing is embroiled in territorial disputes with its neighbors and is building up artificial islands and reefs with runways capable of handling military aircraft. The U.S. has sent warships and planes through a series of operations to challenge Chinese claims, saying its aim is to ensure freedom of navigation in waters that carry one-third of global trade.......
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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http://www.financialexpress.com/india-n ... ry/383789/
‘Indo-Japan ties an important feature of 21st century’
Growing strategic relationship between India and Japan will be an important shaping feature of the 21st century, Chairman of FRBM Review Committee N K Singh said today.
By: PTI | New Delhi | Published: September 21, 2016 12:18 AM
Growing strategic relationship between India and Japan will be an important shaping feature of the 21st century, Chairman of FRBM Review Committee N K Singh said today. Singh was speaking at a function to celebrate conferment of Japan’s Imperial Decoration on him. Recalling his association with Japan since 1962, the former revenue secretary said nobody at that time thought the country would emerge as an important investment source for India.
“I have seen a transformation in Indo-Japanese relations of an unbelievable order…India is now high on radar of Japanese investment. I have seen in my lifetime this transformative relationship from being a merely trading partner to becoming important strategic partners. As we go along this will be an important shaping feature of the 21st century,” he added.
Japan is the fourth largest investor in India. Foreign direct investment from Japan stood at USD 20.96 billion (April 2000 – March 2016). India-Japan bilateral trade stood at USD 14.5 billion in 2015-16.......
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Clinching the N-deal with Japan - Edit, The Hindu
India has completed agreements for civil nuclear cooperation with 11 countries so far, including the U.S., Russia, Australia, Canada and South Korea, but the upcoming agreement with Japan could be the most significant. Japan is the only country to have been the victim of a nuclear attack, and its decision to sign an agreement with India, a country that has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), would be a first. Reservations in Japan against nuclear energy have hardened after the Fukushima accident. Tokyo’s support to the deal so far is therefore an indication of the importance it accords to relations with India. For India, the civil nuclear agreement with Japan is especially important for the message of trust it would convey to Nuclear Suppliers Group members in a year the country hopes to have its admission accepted. Japan’s support at the NSG has been particularly marked. In fact, India and Japan share many multilateral platforms, including membership of the G-4 group that is knocking at the UN Security Council’s door for reform. Beyond symbolic reasons, Japanese nuclear energy technology and safety parameters are widely considered to be cutting-edge, and many critical parts needed for Indian reactors are made by Japanese manufacturers. These will not be available to India until the agreement is done. Although India has even considered trying to manufacture them locally, there won’t be alternatives to Japan for several years. Even the U.S. civil nuclear deal, that is yet to be actualised, is contingent on the deal with Japan, given that the current discussions for six reactors in Andhra Pradesh are with Westinghouse, which is owned by the Japanese company Toshiba.

It may appear baffling why the deal has taken so long to negotiate. The main sticking point has been India’s refusal to sign the NPT, as it considers the treaty unfair to the developing world. This is why New Delhi is keen on ensuring that in the haste to seal the deal by the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan this winter, it doesn’t give in to pressure to adhere to anything more than its own self-declared moratorium on testing. The Japanese insistence on a “nullification” clause that the agreement would cease as soon as India tests, will be judged with this balance in mind. Particularly post-Fukushima, Japanese manufacturers will also be expected to be more generous with India on the liability issue, given their own experience with the enormous cost of cleaning up. As always, and even more so than with the India-U.S. agreement, the devil will be in the detail of the final draft.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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India seeks greater pharma market access in Japan - The Hindu
Seeking greater market access for the Indian pharmaceuticals sector in the Japanese market, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the share of India in the Japanese drug market continued to be below par and limited mostly to active pharmaceutical ingredients (or APIs - raw materials for drugs). She said the demand for generic medicines in Japan and India’s capability to meet this demand can prove a win-win for both countries.

“The Japanese pharmaceutical market offers a huge untapped potential for Indian pharma industry,” an official statement quoted Ms. Sitharaman as saying. “India’s strength in pharma sector is well established. This, coupled with the decision of Government of Japan towards attaining an 80 per cent share of generic medicines by 2018, should provide an opportunity for the generic drug industry of India,” according to the statement. Indian companies should use the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) much more to boost exports to Japan, she said at a seminar organised by think-tank RIS.

The minister voiced concern over India's trade deficit with Japan increasing from $3.1 billion before the CEPA was inked in 2011 to $5.2 billion thereafter. She said there was a need to address implementation issues of CEPA. For example, she said, Japan had accorded preferential tariff to fish surimi from India. A negligible amount of an imported cryo-protectant, TSPP, is applied for preservation. Though the value of the TSPP is less than 0.5 per cent of the overall product cost, it is precluded from CEPA benefits as the ‘product is not of Indian origin’, she pointed out.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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http://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/jap ... spartanntp
Multiple blasts in a park area of the Japanese city of Utsunomiya have killed at least one person and injured at least two, emergency services say.
The explosions took place almost simultaneously at about 11:30 local time (02:30 GMT) in the city in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo.
Tokyo-based broadcaster NHK World broadcast images showing two burnt-out cars in a parking area.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the explosions
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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SSridhar wrote:India seeks greater pharma market access in Japan - The Hindu
Seeking greater market access for the Indian pharmaceuticals sector in the Japanese market, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the share of India in the Japanese drug market continued to be below par and limited mostly to active pharmaceutical ingredients (or APIs - raw materials for drugs). She said the demand for generic medicines in Japan and India’s capability to meet this demand can prove a win-win for both countries.

“The Japanese pharmaceutical market offers a huge untapped potential for Indian pharma industry,” an official statement quoted Ms. Sitharaman as saying. “India’s strength in pharma sector is well established. This, coupled with the decision of Government of Japan towards attaining an 80 per cent share of generic medicines by 2018, should provide an opportunity for the generic drug industry of India,” according to the statement. Indian companies should use the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) much more to boost exports to Japan, she said at a seminar organised by think-tank RIS.

The minister voiced concern over India's trade deficit with Japan increasing from $3.1 billion before the CEPA was inked in 2011 to $5.2 billion thereafter. She said there was a need to address implementation issues of CEPA. For example, she said, Japan had accorded preferential tariff to fish surimi from India. A negligible amount of an imported cryo-protectant, TSPP, is applied for preservation. Though the value of the TSPP is less than 0.5 per cent of the overall product cost, it is precluded from CEPA benefits as the ‘product is not of Indian origin’, she pointed out.
Doctors who prescribe generic drugs for common or other ailment is encouraged in Japan to keep the welfare costs down. I am not too sure, but clinics have certain percentage of quota to meet in prescribing generic drugs for insurance claims, heard it from a pharma company person, but this was couple of years ago so I don't remember clearly.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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India, Japan eye deeper defence ties to counter China - AFP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan next month for an annual summit, India said Friday, with the Asian giants expected to deepen defence ties to counter an assertive China and ink a civil nuclear deal.

Modi will have an audience with Emperor Akihito and hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during the two-day visit starting on November 11, the foreign ministry said.

The two men, both right-wing nationalists and economic reformers, have forged an unusually close relationship since the Indian leader came to power in 2014.

In a statement India's foreign ministry said the meeting would be "an occasion for the two leaders to have in-depth exchanges on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest", without giving details.

Media reports said they may sign a civil nuclear cooperation pact after failing to do so at their last meeting, citing outstanding technical and legal differences. {We shouldn't place too much faith on these reports. if that happens, well and good. The worrying thing is that the Japanese investments are not coming to India in a big way.}

The long-mooted agreement is expected to allow Japan to export its nuclear plant technologies to the subcontinent.

Japan has in the past shunned civil nuclear cooperation with India, which has not ratified the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, but appears to have softened its stance.

Closer defence and security ties, including joint maritime exercises, are also likely to be on the agenda.{Joint maritime exercises are already close between the Maritime SDF of Japan & IN as well as the two Coast Guards. The thing to watch here is what happens with US2}

China is expanding its deep-water naval presence and has staked claims to disputed areas of the East and South China Sea and Indian Ocean region, parts of which Japan also claims.

India has a longstanding territorial dispute with China, and troops from the two countries engaged in a major stand-off at the border in 2014.

Tokyo has its own spat with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea, and is increasingly vocal over its ambitions to control almost the whole of the South China Sea.

Modi visited Japan in August 2014 on his first bilateral trip outside South Asia months after coming to power.

Subsequently Abe paid a two-day visit to India last December when both premiers agreed on a slew of deals, including India's first bullet train, defence technology and civil nuclear cooperation.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Japan non-committal on N-deal during Modi’s visit - Sachin Parasshar, ToI
Ahead of Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo next month, Japan remains non-committal on signing the final agreement for civil nuclear cooperation with India during the meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries. While Japan's foreign ministry remained positive about the agreement, it told TOI that the MoU signed between the two countries for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy was being legally vetted.

"Japan and India are by no means stagnant though and we are looking forward to enhancing our strategic partnership further," said Yasuhisa Kawamura, director general of press and public diplomacy division. It is important for Japan to ensure that the MoU signed last year for the purpose stands legal scrutiny before it is formalised through an agreement, which India is looking forward to signing when Modi visits Tokyo on November 11. If the agreement is indeed signed, it will be the biggest takeaway from Modi's third summit meeting with Abe. The final agreement will also be put up for scrutiny before the Japanese parliament (Diet).

After the 2015 summit meeting, Japanese officials had stated that the two countries had an agreement "in principle" for civil nuclear cooperation but also warned that Japan would review the agreement if India chose to conduct a nuclear test. The agreement with Japan is crucial for India as it will also help US nuclear vendors source equipment from their Japanese partners. Apart from other contentious issues like reprocessing of spent fuel and nuclear material tracking, one major sticking point was Japan's insistence on assurance from India — which has not signed the NPT — that it officially commit to Japan it was not going to conduct any more nuclear tests.

India, however, was not willing to go beyond the statement made by then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2008, before NSG declared that India remained "committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing". The Japanese side seemed to have finally relented in arriving at the basic agreement in 2015.

Another major takeaway from the visit could be an announcement on the agreement under consideration for purchase of 12 Shinmaywa US-2 search & rescue aircraft from Japan, even if the agreement itself is not signed. As reported by TOI on September 11 this year, Japan remains committed to the deal and is even willing to reduce the price of the aircraft to facilitate an agreement. In a sign of the strength of India's strategic partnership with Japan, top Japanese defence ministry officials said Japan was interested in selling the aircraft to India not for any economic gain but because India was a friendly country.

Peace and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific will be another important part of the agenda for the Modi-Abe meeting. Announcing the visit on Friday, MEA recalled how Modi and Abe in their last meeting had outlined a vision of working together for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world.

Under Abe, Japan has sought to focus on maritime security cooperation in its bilateral and multilateral engagements. It worked with countries in the region, including India, to include the same in the priority list of East Asia Summit this year.

China's growing assertiveness in East China Sea, where it is challenging Japan's sovereignty over Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, has also seen Japan deepening its defence and security ties with countries like Vietnam which are party to territorial disputes in South China Sea.

As a Japanese foreign ministry official told TOI, Tokyo is encouraging India to speak up more on South China Sea disputes and this could reflect in the joint statement to be issued after Abe's meeting with Modi.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Tokyo will give haath to India at the moment India needs them the most.

Not sure why the Japanese behave this way. They have a soft corner for the packees too. It is something deeper than racial contempt.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Paul wrote:Tokyo will give haath to India at the moment India needs them the most.

Not sure why the Japanese behave this way. They have a soft corner for the packees too. It is something deeper than racial contempt.
There is back door discussion always about India.
Pak is usually the one which raises the issue and these discussion leads those country to delay any progress with India.


Check if there is any indication due to the current isolation of Pak.
US election is also another factor due to the uncertainity
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Re: ShinMayWa Purchse

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India revives project to acquire Japanese US-2i amphibious aircrafts, worth Rs 10,000 crore - Rajat Pandit, Economic Times
India has revived the stalled project to acquire a dozen Japanese US-2i amphibious aircraft, worth around Rs 10,000 crore, ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo on November 11-12 to further cement the bilateral strategic partnership.

While the inking of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement is likely to be the centrepiece of the meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, sources say the declaration of India's intention to acquire the US-2i aircraft is also going to be a major highlight of the summit.

The US-2i project, with six of the huge amphibious planes each for the Navy and Coast Guard, is also slated to be taken up by the defence acquisitions council (DAC) meeting to be chaired by defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday. "The DAC will take up the inking of a bilateral MoU between the two countries for the procurement of the 12 aircraft," said a source.

Powered by four big turbo-props, the US-2i is capable of short take-offs from land as well as water. While basically meant for search and rescue operations, the US-2i can also rapidly transport 30 combat-ready soldiers to "hot zones" in an emergency.

Though the Navy has much more critical operational requirements ranging from submarines to multirole helicopters, the proposed US-2i deal is intended to send a strong signal to an increasingly belligerent China in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both India and Japan are wary of the China's aggressive territorial claims. India has till now ruled out joining the quadrilateral security dialogue proposed by the US, with Japan and Australia being the other members. But Japan since 2014 has become a regular participant of the annual Malabar naval exercise between India and the US, which has riled China.

Negotiations for the US-2i aircraft deal, which will be the first-ever purchase of military equipment from Japan since it ended its five-decade old self-imposed embargo to export military hardware, have been underway since 2013 but were stalled on the high costs involved.

Japan has now agreed to somewhat reduce the price, which was earlier pegged at $1.6 billion or Rs 10,720 crore for the 12 aircraft, to clinch the deal and expand its strategic partnership with India.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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India this week to become first non-NPT nation to sign nuclear deal with Japan,reports Yomiuri Shimbun - ToI
India will on Friday become the first non-NPT country to sign a civil nuclear deal with Japan, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

Japan, which saw Hiroshima+ and Nagasaki destroyed by US atomic bombs+ at the end of World War II, has in the past not even considered signing such a deal with India because it isn't a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Now, though, while Japan has relented, the two countries will also agree that if India conducts a nuclear test, Japan will stop civil nuclear cooperation, Yomiuri reported, according to SCMP.

Last week, Japan Times said the deal may draw criticism from the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for hindering non-proliferation efforts.

Modi is expected to arrive in Japan Thursday for a three-day visit and is expected to sign the civil nuclear deal on Friday.

The treaty will allow Japan to export nuclear power plants to India, giving a boost to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to promote infrastructure exports as a way of fueling economic growth, sources told Japan Times last week.

Some analysts say Japan shed its long-term aversion to a deal with India, in the context of China's growing military presence+ in the region and in the disputed South China Sea. Others said the deal will be beneficial to both countries.

"...if one considers the matter carefully, it becomes clear that civil nuclear cooperation between Japan and India will have virtually no negative impact on the non-proliferation regime," said Satoru Nagao, a research fellow at the Tokyo Foundation, in an article for thediplomat.com last month.

India, he said, has a good non-proliferation record.

"First of all, India has demonstrated a firm commitment to non-proliferation principle in practice. It clearly differs from countries like North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran, which have conducted shady dealings on the 'nuclear black market'. If India continues to control its nuclear technology as carefully as it has for the past half-century, cooperation on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes should not undermine the NPT regime," Nagao wrote.

Eleven countries have already signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with India. They are the US, Russia, Britain, France, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, and Namibia.

"Provided that India appreciates the need to refrain from nuclear testing, civil nuclear cooperation could well become the basis for a long-term cooperative relationship with major benefits," Nagao wrote.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

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Drummers’ delight: Indian military band to shower love in Tokyo - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu
An Indian military band will, for the first time, take part in the Japanese Self Defence Forces (SDF) marching festival 2016 in Tokyo later this week. This also coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan during which expanding security cooperation is big on the agenda.

The marching festival of the SDF is an annual event being held since 1963 and draws an audience of over 50,000 people.

The Indian contingent of 32 Army bandsmen is accompanied by three officers and a drum Major. “Our team will be there from November 8 to 14. The invite was extended by Japan,” defence sources said.

The main festival is from November 11 to 13. “There are some dummy runs before that and the team has to get adjusted there,” the source said.

Mr. Modi is scheduled to visit Japan on a two-day visit from November 11-12 and sources said he was likely to witness the parade.


Beyond the symbolism of the marching Army band, India and Japan have resumed discussions for purchase of at least 12 ShinMaywa built US-2 amphibious planes worth over $1.4 bn.

While concluding the agreement on civil nuclear cooperation is on top of the agenda during the bilateral discussion between Mr. Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, some announcement could be expected during the visit, sources said.

Differences over cost

The decision to commence “discussions” for the sale of US-2 planes was announced by the two leaders in 2014. But despite several rounds of negotiations at various levels there was no headway due to differences over the high cost, local manufacturing of components and transfer of technology.

Another reason, defence sources said was that with several other critical big ticket defence acquisitions in the pipeline, this “deal fell aside in the order of priority.”

The sources said the project was now back on track after some understanding on the contentious issues and Japan also agreeing to lower the price.

Japanese Embassy sources said they had clarified issues from their side. “We are waiting for the Indian Defence Ministry and the Defence Acquisition Council to take a decision,” the sources said.

The US-2 is capable of landing on water in rough weather conditions and can transport troops and supplies to the hundreds of islands around India during conflicts and disasters.
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by g.sarkar »

http://www.oneindia.com/india/narendra- ... 57237.html
Narendra Modi to travel to Japan tomorrow, N-deal expected India, Japan are expected to sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement
New Delhi, Nov 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Japan Thursday for a three-day visit which is expected to see the signing of civil nuclear deal between the two countries besides discussions on ways to step up cooperation in the areas like economy and security. Modi will be holding the annual Summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and have an audience with the Emperor of Japan.
During the visit, the two countries are expected to sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement which will facilitate leading US-based atomic companies to set up plants in India.
The two countries had sealed a broad agreement during Abe's visit here last December but the final deal was yet to be signed as certain technical and legal issues were to be thrashed out.
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Gautam
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Re: India and Japan: News and Discussion

Post by zoverian »

India-Japan ink landmark civil nuclear agreement

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 344335.cms


TOKYO: India and Japan on Friday signed a landmark civil nuclear cooperation deal after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Shinzo Abe, a move that will boost bilateral economic and security ties and facilitate US-based players to set up atomic plants in India.

The two countries had reached a broad agreement for cooperation in civil nuclear energy sector during Abe's visit to India in December last year, but the deal was yet to be signed as some issues were yet to be worked out.

"A landmark deal for a cleaner, greener world! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo witness exchange of the landmark Civil Nuclear Agreement," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted today.


The deal would allow Japan to export nuclear technology to India, making it the first non-NPT signatory to have such a deal with Tokyo. It would also cement the bilateral economic and security ties as the two countries warm up to counter an assertive China.


There was political resistance in Japan - the only country to suffer atomic bombings during World War II - against a nuclear deal with India, particularly after the disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011

Japan is a major player in the nuclear energy market and an atomic deal with it will make it easier for US-based nuclear plant makers Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GE Energy Inc to set up atomic plants in India as both these conglomerates have Japanese investments.

Other nations who have signed civil nuclear deal with India include the US, Russia, South Korea, Mangolia, France, Namibia, Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia.
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