- India, Japan updated Indo-Pacific strategy countering China.
- Leaders committed to boosting defense and economic security.
- Focus on critical minerals, supply chains, defense technology.
In an effort to counter Beijing’s influence in the region, India and Japan unveiled an updated version of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) on Thursday, keeping one eye on China. This new approach will link the Indo-Pacific strategic framework with India’s vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR).
This was decided at the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit held in New Delhi jointly chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi. Both countries vowed to take their bilateral relationship to the next level ranging from expansion in defence partnership to solidifying economic security by way of robust supply chain creation, especially in critical minerals and rare earth elements, as a signal to China as it controls over 60–70 percent of global rare earth mining and roughly 90 percent of the refining capacity.
“Today, with Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit, we are ushering in a new chapter in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Today, India and Japan are both among the world’s largest economies. A free, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific remains a shared priority for both our countries.
As the region’s largest democracies and market economies, we have launched several important initiatives today. Together, these will help pave the way for peace, stability, and prosperity across the region,” said Prime Minister Modi during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Takaichi, which was held after the Annual India-Japan Summit.
During the Summit, Prime Minister Takaichi proposed an updated FOIP that will see the linking of Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) and Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR).
“Free, prosperous, rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority… Expansion of maritime security cooperation is especially important for regional peace and stability,” said PM Takaichi, who is on a 3-day maiden visit to India from 1-3 July.
The update FOIP was proposed by Japan to India not only to secure the maritime domain that India and Japan share against Chinese belligerence, but it was also given a decisive shape on Thursday due to the US’ apparent change of stance in the Indo-Pacific.
“In recognition of the strategic salience of the India-Japan partnership in an increasingly volatile and uncertain geopolitical environment, the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to developing a mutually complementary relationship,” said a joint statement issued after the India-Japan Annual Summit.
The joint statement also said as the world’s two large democracies, both India and Japan have “a duty to shape and uphold an international order which is free, open and based on the rule of law.
To this end, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the updated “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” and shared that it closely aligns with the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) and Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR). They reiterated their commitment to further deepen concrete cooperation based on their common strategic outlook.”
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In the area of defence partnership, Japan vowed to relax its policies that restrict the export of their defence items. Japan has now decided that it will have easier transfer of defence equipment and technology with partner countries.
To this effect, both leaders unveiled a project called UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna). Both Modi and Takaichi They expressed their expectation for an early conclusion of the project and concurred on exploring ways to materialize other projects in the field of defence equipment and technology.
India-Japan Economic Security Cooperation
According to PM Takaichi, both Tokyo and New Delhi Thursday decided to address “economic weaponisation” by institutionalising economic security cooperation between these two countries.
India and Japan will now collaborate more closely in strengthening and diversifying supply chains in the manufacturing of semiconductors, maintaining stable supply of critical minerals, supporting the security, reliability, and resilience of digital infrastructure, and explore alternative supply chains in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Key Starting Materials (KSMs) in pharmaceuticals.
Both sides also signed a declaration on economic security cooperation.
The declaration will seek “to advance economic security cooperation between India and Japan in alignment with broader multilateral and plurilateral efforts under G7, G20 and Quad.”
India and Japan are also members of the Quad along with the United States and Australia.
“Both sides note the importance of India’s own initiatives in the region including Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia and Japan’s Overseas Economic Security Arrangement under the updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific which will continue to strengthen economic resilience in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said.
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