Suvendrini Kakuchi

Fledgling bilateral relations between Japan, Asia’s powerhouse, and India, a major player in the region, are reckoned to have received a boost as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s four-day-long visit here winds up on Friday.

Tokyo rolled out a red carpet welcome for Singh whose country is increasingly viewed as a strategic bilateral partner under the leadership of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is spearheading a more active role for Japan in shaping Asian politics. “In India, Japan finds a partner that is both influential in the establishment of a regional order for East Asia and that shares common values such as freedom and democracy,” opined the Yomiuri, Japan’s largest daily, on Thursday. The newspaper called for increasing Japanese economic support for India and described the new partnership as being ‘the heart of the Asian order’. Sankei, a leading conservative newspaper, also praised the visit, calling it a critical landmark for Japan.

The media referred to Abe’s book, Toward A Beautiful Country, that outlined an Asian order grouping Japan with India, Australia and the US, but not China, to work towards security and prosperity in the region. Singh’s visit is being seen as the first step in this direction. In the book, Abe points out that India is very important for Japan’s national interests. In Tokyo, both leaders pledged to hold talks on this framework which Abe hopes to establish soon. “There is now a new perspective on India in Japan. Influential politicians and policy-makers are urging Japan to rethink the old stance and develop closer ties that could include accepting India as a nuclear power,’’ said Prof. Masao Fukunaga, an India watcher at the Gifu Women’s University based in Nagoya.

Indian experts in Tokyo are reciprocating with equal warmth. Indeed, Japan’s weak relations with India, that currently records eight per cent annual growth rate, have become a hot national debate as New Delhi forges ahead with new pacts with the US and China. The fact that Sino-Indian trade ties are soaring has been noted and also how during a November visit to India by Chinese President Hu Jintao, both sides set a target to double their trade by 2010.

An important landmark is the controversial nuclear cooperation agreement India signed with the United States, a year ago and passed by Congress last week, clearing the way for providing sophisticated nuclear materials and technology to support growing fuel needs and also indirectly recognising India as a nuclear power. The agreement, criticised by anti-nuclear groups, has proved to be a headache for Japan which is a leader in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to which India is not a signatory.

Japan is yet to make known its official position on the deal. Analysts, however, predict Tokyo will inevitably end its opposition. But Hisao Iwashima, a security expert, warned that Abe’s thrust to work closer with India could fall into narrow political interests — using India as a counterweight to China as Japan embarks on more involvement in Asia.

“Shinzo Abe’s strategy is to bolster his falling public support by harping on nationalism and his friendship with India can be used to win the backing of conservatives in Japan who dislike China for bringing up past historical animosity,” he said.