Japan hopeful of positive outcome of QUAD Summit scheduled in Tokyo on May 24: Amb Satoshi Suzuki
NEW DELHI. Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India said on Friday that he was very hopeful of the outcomes of the QUAD Summit meeting scheduled to be taking place in Tokyo, on May 24th.
In his address during the launch of a book “India-Japan relations @70: Building Beyond the Bilateral” published by the Centre of East Asian Studies, JNU, the Japan Ambassador confirmed that QUAD Summit meeting would take place in Tokyo, on May 24th. , “I look forward to very positive outcome of this important meeting,” he said.
Japan has proposed May 24 as the date for the summit, coinciding with US President Joe Biden’s visit to Tokyo, and the date it falls just days after Australia’s general election. Biden is visiting South Korea on May 20, following which he would visit Japan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of Japan and Australia would meet during the summit.
“Our long-lasting relationship needs to explore new frontiers to promote bilateral and truly natural partnerships in the indo-pacific region, including Covid vaccines, critical and emerging technologies, climate changes, infrastructure coordination, cyber-security, outer space, education, and so forth. At the last month’s summit meeting the two leaders (PM Kishida and PM Modi), renewed their commitment to delivering tangible outcomes of the positive and constructive agenda of QUAD. On this note. I am pleased to mention that we have provided vaccines produced in India to Cambodia and Thailand under the cooperative framework this month,” said Ambassador Suzuki.
Besides Ambassador Suzuki, present on the occasion of the launch of the book “India-Japan relations @70: Building Beyond the Bilateral”, were Prof. Santishree Dhulipuli Pandit Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Shyam Saran, Former Foreign Secretary and Life Trustee of IIC. Koji Sato, Director General, Japan foundation New Delhi, Ms. Deepa Gopalan Wadhawa, former Ambassador to Japan, Ashok Chawla, Advisor (Japan) to the Prime Minister, Dr. Ashok Jain, Chairman, MOSAI, Dr. Sudhakar Vaddi, Centre for East Asian Studies, SIS, JNU, and many other eminent literary personalities.
Supported by Japan Foundation New Delhi, this book consists of the contribution of Prof Srabani Roy Choudhury, Chairperson, Center For East Asian Studies, Professor in Japanese Division, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and ten young research scholars of the Japan Division.
While congratulating Prof. Chaudhaury along 10 young scholars of Japanese studies who have published these outstanding work of India-Japan relationship, Ambassador Suzuki said that the book was published at the time when we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations.
Ambassador further said, “The Centre for East Asia Studies, JNU is the leading department that has contributed to outstanding academic research on Japan and other East Asian countries. The Japanese division of the center has produced innumerable eminent Scholars who are making significant contributions on deepening India Japan relationship. It is truly encouraging to see that senior professors nurturing and guiding this young generation of Scholars with excellent talent and intellectual capacity, while preparing them for pivotal roll of promoting academic exchanges between Japan and India in the coming decades.”.
While introducing the book, Prof Srabani Roy Choudhury said that the book provides an overview of the historical relations and the soft power equation between India and Japan, while also taking stock of the economic and security aspect of the bilateral relationship.
“The chapter dedicated to the historical overview delineates the journey of the ebbs and flows of India-Japan relations from ancient times to the present. It begins with the ancient period when Buddhism reached Japan from India and laid the very foundation of Japanese culture and religion. During the medieval times, because of the Japanese policy of isolation (sakoku) the interaction between the two countries dwindled. The relationship revived in the modern period even though the circumstances were very different for both India and Japan,” Prof. Choudhury added.
She said that with the end of the Second World War, the relationship entered a new phase marked by economic cooperation and ODA loans from Japan to India. The beginning of the twenty-first century saw a major reorientation in the relationship into a “strategic partnership”.
The chapters in the book have critically analysed even components such as soft power which are seldom put under the lens of scientific scrutiny. In the exploration of the soft power equation between India and Japan, the authors take a deep dive into the mechanisms of the appeal and attraction of the two nations for each other. They use the three components of soft power as illustrated by Joseph Nye—culture, political values and foreign policy— to demonstrate the role played by soft power in bringing India and Japan together. Further, they critically evaluate the role of credibility, self-criticism, and the role of civil society in generating soft power.
Even though soft power is based on culture, political values and foreign policies, its exertion is dependent on credibility, self-criticism, and civil society.
The volume has also attempted to provide a comprehensive security overview of the bilateral relationship while arguing that the rise of China is an important factor that brought the countries together in the twenty-first century, but it is not the only factor, especially in the first decade of the twenty-first century. The chapter also argues that India-Japan relationship is the fulcrum of the Indo Pacific strategy. The book also dedicates an entire chapter to the exploration of the maritime security aspect of the bilateral partnership and analyses the evolution of the bilateral Coast Guard and naval exercises over the decades to conclude that the complexity and nature of the naval exercises between the two countries are steadily increasing. The chapter extends its analysis to also include the trilateral and multilateral platforms and avenues in the maritime domain where India and Japan participate together.
Economic cooperation has been the defining factor of the relationship throughout the Cold War years. Since the opening of the Indian economy in 1991, this has become the pivot of the relationship. The book provides a detailed overview of the status and prospects of the economic engagement between the two countries while focusing on the role played by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in strengthening this bond. It also examines the challenges and shortcomings in this aspect of the partnership, especially after the pandemic.
The book is however not simply looking at common pillars of relations, the uniqueness of the book lies in its beckoning to the future and the futuristic aspects of this bilateral partnership. Several chapters in the book draws awareness to new areas of cooperation, namely, infrastructure, connectivity, renewable energy, cyberspace and outer space, which make this relationship robust and multidimensional. In the current flux of global uncertainties furthered by technological shifts, the concluding chapter is dedicated to the new opportunities that are in the making in this relationship. The chapter addresses the global concerns of sustainable development and climate change and throws light on the India-Japan cooperation and judicious use of critical emerging technology.
The book also examines the cooperation between the two countries beyond bilateralism in several multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the East Asia Summit and the G20. The joint connectivity and infrastructural initiatives such as in India’s Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and through the integration of Japan’s Free and Open Indo Pacific Vision and India’s Act East Policy is a reflection of the integration of the common goals and visions of the two countries beyond the borders of the two countries . The book contends that amid the instability created by China’s aggressive rise and the post-pandemic uncertainty, the India–Japan partnership harbours great potential in creating a sustainable framework through their joint approach towards the connectivity paradigm.
While the last decade was to expand, deepen and develop the relationship, the following decade will be to build beyond the bilateral. Both these nations will constructively work in two board areas- alignment and engagement with nations of the region for a free, open, rule-based order for peace and stability and developmental capacity building by embedding green technology and sustainable development goals to generate prosperity and equity in the Indo-Pacific region.
