As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advocates for closer defence and strategic ties with Japan, the cosiness has not gone unnoticed in China, where the Communist Party mouthpiece published a commentary hitting out at Tokyo for courting New Delhi with the sole aim to contain the “resurgent” Beijing.
On the second day of his state visit to Japan, Singh said: “India sees Japan as a natural and indispensable partner in our quest for stability and peace in the vast region in Asia that is washed by the Pacific and Indian Oceans.”
He noted that India and Japan had common maritime challenges and need to work together as “Indian and Pacific Oceans are essential for regional and global prosperity”.
“We should, therefore, uphold the principles of freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in accordance with international law, resolve maritime issues peacefully and work together more purposefully to harness the potential of the seas and address common sea-based challenges such as piracy,” Manmohan said at a function organised by the Japan-India Association and the Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League.
He mentioned that India and Japan are already holding bilateral Naval exercises. This visit will institutionalise these exercises on an annual basis.
This line will certainly raise eyebrows in Beijing, which has recently again raised the pitch of its rhetoric following Tokyo’s criticism of Premier Li Keqiang’s speech in Germany.
The relations between China and Japan have been deteriorated for the last several months over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyou islands, as well as nationalist statements from the Shinzo Abe administration over Japanese conquests during the Second World War.
“In the development of Sino-Indian ties there are several divergence and contradictions. Some countries see these differences as an opportunity to provoke dissension,” said commentator Hua Yiwen in an article published in the ‘People’s Daily’ overseas edition on Tuesday. Titled ‘Sino-Indian diplomatic miracle embarrasses Japanese politicians’, the commentary said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had at one time called for a ‘democracy security diamond’, comprising of Japan, India, Australia and the United States to compete with “ascendant China”.
The Chinese author said that despite the effort of the international media to hype the Sino-Indian border-standoff, both countries resolved it “in a short time” and followed it with a successful visit of Premier Li to New Delhi. “The shift of Sino-Indian ties in such a short time is a miracle,” he said.
While claiming that China will create “more miracles” in diplomacy, he added: “Before the miracles, the petty burglars, like some of Japanese politicians, will bring disgrace on their own heads.”
Interestingly, the strident piece was published a day before the Prime Minister’s formal talks with his Japanese counterpart.
“Prime Minister Abe and I will work together to strengthen our strategic partnership, impart new momentum to our economic cooperation and deepen our dialogue on shared regional and global interests,” Singh said in Tokyo ahead of the talks on Wednesday.
Interestingly, even when talking about Japanese companies to come to India, Singh emphasised that they had a “strategic interest”, which could be interpreted as advice to diversify their overseas portfolio from being overtly China-heavy to other friendlier countries, especially India.
