Beijing will have to be drawn into a dialogue: PM

TOKYO: The threat posed by China to its economy and security seems to be pushing Japan more closer to India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who shared notes on the activities of the rapidly developing giant in the region after the bilaterals here, said Beijing will have to be drawn into a productive dialogue to ease tensions.

Although the Indian side rejected suggestions that Tokyo is seeing India as a counter-weight to China in the region, the discussions between the two sides gave clear indications on exploring ways to counter China’s belligerence. “Japan has a maritime issue with China. In our case, we have a dispute over land boundaries... In this context, security cooperation is one of the pillars of our engagement with Japan,” foreign secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters after the meeting between Prime Minister Singh and Prime Minister Kan.

In her interaction with the media, Ms Rao also sought commonalties of interest between India and Japan. “India and Japan are democracies and believe in free market. China has opted for a different political system,” Ms Rao said.

The talks between the two leaders come a day after Prime Minister Kan told a national audience that China’s military modernisation as well as its naval activity in the region were cause for worry. The ties between China and Japan got strained after a Chinese trawler captain was arrested near a disputed island chain in East China Sea. There is uneasiness in Tokyo over China’s increased naval activity in the EastChina Sea. In this context, the decision to invite the US and the Russian Federation to join as members of East Asia Summit (EAS) is seen as significant. The US, it be recalled, is at odds with China over trade and currency issues. In her interaction with media, foreign secretary Rao said the prime minister advocated a peaceful approach to solving outstanding issues with China. “I would like to recall prime minister’s words that India wishes to see a peaceful rise of China,” she said. Earlier in the day, the prime minister received a warm welcome at the Chancory.

Mr Singh has had four official visits to Japan. On all four visits, he has met a different prime minister — Shinzo Abe in 2006, Yasuo Fakuda in 2008, Taro Aso in July 2008 and now Naoto Kan.

Incidentally, all three former prime ministers turned up for a function to felicitate the prime minister.