(29) India will not become a pawn of Japan - Global Times

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India will not become a pawn of Japan

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a three-day visit to Japan on Thursday, some Japanese media lauded that the trip could potentially "make history."

Modi's trip has drawn attention for three reasons: Japan will officially roll out an Indian Ocean-Pacific strategy that it has planned for years; the two countries have signed a civilian nuclear agreement; and both sides have hinted they would include the South China Sea Arbitration in their joint statement.

This trip should be viewed with an understanding of the changing geopolitics.

Since Philippine, Malaysian and Vietnamese leaders visited China, the once unstable situation in the South China Sea has suddenly abated. Across the Pacific, Donald Trump, who has threatened to abandon Japan, is about to become the next US president. The Asia-Pacific region  is at a crossroads. That has made Shinzo Abe anxious that Japan can no longer depend on the US for its purposes.

Looking at Japan's diplomatic policies over the past few years, the Abe administration has become more active trying to sway regional powers to encircle China.

Japan wants to use the disputes between China and India to court India to help contain China. Japan seeks to urge India to meddle in the South China Sea issue, even at the cost of changing its long-held position of reducing nuclear usage to offer special benefits of civil nuclear cooperation to India.

India is in need of acquiring nuclear and military technology from Japan and attracting more investment for its manufacturing industries and infrastructure, like high-speed railways.

On the other hand, the rise of China and the US' troubled "pivot to Asia" have exerted more geopolitical pressure on countries in the region.

However, India is not likely to change its position according to the wishes of Japan. India takes a multilateral approach to diplomacy and pursues a status as a leading power. Japan's plans are full of antagonism, which contradict India's policies. Therefore India will practically assess specific cooperation with Japan case by case.

India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, as it wants to become a power on par with China and Japan and benefit from both sides. India will get closer to Japan but will not enter into a "brotherhood" relationship.

China and India have many problems between them, however, Sino-Indian relations are improving. National leaders frequently meet and are securing the right direction in bilateral ties. Even if India signs the "Indian Ocean-Pacific Pact," it won't have as much strength to contain China as Abe expects.

Lacking long-term strategies, Japan will head down another dead-end route.