India and Japan will contribute towards building an open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, connected by secure seas, integrated by trade and investment, defined by respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity and anchored in international law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an op-ed published in a leading Japanese newspaper on Monday.

Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, penned an op-ed on the vibrant relations between India and Japan in the Yomiuri Shimbun.

As two democracies, strategically located in the Indo-Pacific region, we can be important pillars of a stable and secure region. That is why our partnership is expanding across a broad range of areas, the Indian PM said. 

Experts, however, are of the opinion that the Quad formation is an attempt to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region where it has territorial disputes with several countries.

In late 2017, when the US,  Japan, Australia, and India first resuscitated their informal dialogue from a decade-long hiatus, China was sure it would soon fail.

“It seems there is never a shortage of headline-grabbing ideas,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said in early 2018, months after it convened its first working-level meeting in Manila.

However, four years later the grouping seems to be stronger than ever. 

Convened around the mantra of promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” the four countries have held two naval exercises since 2020. Their leaders have assembled three times since last year.   

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam has laid claim to parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. It is also involved in a maritime dispute with Japan over the East China Sea.

Also Read: China is ‘flirting with danger’: Joe Biden says United States will defend Taiwan if invaded

A peaceful and prosperous Indo Pacific region will be critical for a better future for the entire world, Modi said.

I have had the opportunity of regularly interacting with the Japanese people since my days as Gujarat CM. The Indian PM also appreciated Japan’s developmental strides. Japan is partnering India in key sectors including infrastructure, technology, innovation, start-ups and more, the Indian PM said in a series of tweets.

In the op-ed, Prime Minister Modi said cultural ties that go back centuries; a firm shared belief in the values of democracy, freedom, and a rules-based international order, as well as convergence in regional and global outlook, are the bedrock of ties between India and Japan as trusted and natural partners.

From Bodhisena to Swami Vivekananda, India-Japan cultural ties have a long and rich history of mutual respect and learning from one another, he added.

Also Read: ‘Waah, where did you learn this?’: PM Modi amazed by Japanese boy’s Hindi greeting

Among Mahatma Gandhi’s cherished personal possessions were small statues of Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru, the Three Wise Monkeys, Modi said.

The iconic Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project symbolises Japan’s extensive collaboration in some of the most important endeavours to build a New India, he said.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1952. In my view, though, the best is yet to come. Today, as both India and Japan look to re-invigorate and refashion our economies in a post-Covid era, there is immense scope to deepen our engagement across the entire spectrum from trade and investment, to defence and security, Modi said.

Justice Radha Binod Pal is a well-known name in Japan, and Gurudev Tagore’s admiration for Japan and interaction with Okakura Tenshin were instrumental in forging early connections between artists and intellectuals on both sides, according to Modi.

These deep links laid a strong foundation for a modern India-Japan partnership that continues to blossom even as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties, he said.

Prime Minister Modi said that his own conviction about this partnership began in his early days as Chief Minister of Gujarat.

It was not just the sophistication of Japanese technology and skills, but also the seriousness and long-term commitment of Japan’s leadership and businesses, that made Japan Gujarat’s preferred industrial partner and the most prominent presence in Vibrant Gujarat Summits since its inception, he said.

Japan has also proved to be an invaluable partner in India’s journey on the path of development and modernisation. From the automobile sector to industrial corridors, Japanese investments and development assistance have a truly pan-India footprint, according to Modi.

The iconic Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project symbolises Japan’s extensive collaboration in some of the most important endeavours to build a New India, he said.

We have traversed a long distance since we established diplomatic relations in 1952. In my view, though, the best is yet to come. Today, as both India and Japan look to re-invigorate and refashion our economies in a post-Covid era, there is immense scope to deepen our engagement across the entire spectrum from trade and investment, to defence and security, Modi said.

In the last few years, India has embarked on a journey to build a strong foundation for the manufacturing sector, services, agriculture and digital technology infrastructure, he said.

I see Japan as an indispensable partner in India’s continuing transformation. For Japan, India’s speed and scale combine with ease of doing business, attractive incentives, bold reforms and ambitious plans to create unmatched opportunities.

We have also fostered a dynamic start-up ecosystem in India, with over 100 unicorns. The Japanese capital is already playing an important role in this effort. And there is potential for a great deal more, he said.

People-to-people links between the two countries have always played an important role in deepening the mutual understanding.

Many Indians are now working in Japan and contributing to the Japanese economy and society, just as Japanese executives are contributing to economic development in India.

I am convinced that such complementarities can be enhanced manifold, he said. The India-Japan partnership has a greater imperative and serves a larger purpose, he said.

The Covid pandemic, global tensions and disruptive challenges to stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region have underlined the need for building resilient supply chains, a human-centric development model and stable and strong international economic relations, capable of resisting coercion and exploitation.

The bilateral partnership will help advance these goals.

Crises tend to magnify challenges and accelerate our transition to the future. For this reason, at this pivotal moment for the world, our partnership now faces larger responsibility and greater urgency. Based on all that we share dearly and all that we have built over decades, India and Japan are ready to respond to this calling, he said.

In Delhi in March 2022, Prime Minister Kishida and I laid out a roadmap for further deepening and broadening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership for our countries to cooperate for a peaceful, stable and prosperous post-COVID world.

As we mark 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are also building one of the defining partnerships of our region. I am confident that my meeting with PM Kishida will lead to tangible progress in realising this ambitious agenda, Prime Minister Modi added.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting Tokyo at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. He will attend the summit of the Quad leaders which is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Besides Modi, the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24 will be attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian prime minister-elect Anthony Albanese.  Modi will hold separate bilateral meetings with Biden, Kishida and Albanese on the sidelines of the summit.