India, Japan reaffirm commitment to strengthen rules-based international order, to counter ‘aggressive’ China

Attempting to counter China’s aggressive posturing in Asia, India and Japan on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening rules-based international order founded on globally accepted principles.

In a joint statement released after the third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting, the two countries said the ministers “reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening rules-based international order founded on the principles of the UN Charter, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force, and emphasised the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo”.

As per the joint statement released by Japan, the Ministers highlighted their common strategic vision towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, that is inclusive, peaceful, prosperous and resilient, as part of the rules-based international order.

The Ministers reiterated their strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality and their full support for the “ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)” which upholds the principles such as openness, transparency, inclusivity, a rules-based framework and respect for international law.

A frank and wide-ranging discussion

The Ministers from both the countries had a frank and wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues focusing on the shared Indo-Pacific region.

In his opening remark at the third round of the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that partnership with Japan in defence technology and industry is important for India to achieve its goal to become a developed nation by 2047.

He also stated the bilateral ties between the two nations have gained strength in all areas.

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar was part of the Indian delegation at the meeting which, among others, also had Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Defence Minister of Japan Minoru Kihara and the country’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa took part in the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting.

“Bilateral relations between the two nations have increased in all areas. Defence has emerged as an important pillar in these relations. We have decided to make India a developed and transformed nation by 2047, on the completion of 100 years of India’s independence,” Singh said.

Domestic defence capabilities

“Building domestic defence capabilities is a very important part of this vision. In the field of defence technology and industry, partnership with Japan will play an important role in the completion of this vision of India,” the Defence Minister added.

He urged Japan to contribute to the vision of making India developed and noted the importance of bilateral relations in the context of the Indo-Pacific region.

The Defence Minister was confident that the discussions at the meeting will lead to make a stronger commitment for cooperation in the defence sector.

“The India-Japan partnership in this sphere will be very important considering the current global situation. I think this partnership is crucial to ensure freedom, inclusivity and transparency in the Indo-Pacific,” Singh said.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, in the last decade, the relationship between the sides has assumed the form of a special strategic and global partnership.

“The logic of this evolution is our expanding interest and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences,” he said.

“As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each other’s endeavours, comprehend each others’ objectives... Our strategic partnership will continue to grow as we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity. Today, our cooperation is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. For India, this is a natural extrapolation from our Act East Policy...” Jaishankar stated.

On the sidelines, Singh met Minoru Kihara to review the full range of India-Japan defence ties. The Defence Minister posted on X: ”...we agreed to further strengthen engagements between the two nations.”

“We also exchanged views on regional global issues of mutual interest,” he said on the social media platform.

On Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM highlighted the crucial role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Besides, Modi also stressed upon the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people ties between India and Japan.