Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to skip Delhi, restricted visit to Gujarat

NEW DELHI: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s September 13-15 visit to India for the annual summit between the two countries is likely to take him only to his counterpart’s home state.

A wide-ranging itinerary is being put in place for Abe in Gujarat, including laying the foundation stones for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train and a second Japanese-run industrial cluster in the state. This will be a rare occasion when Abe or any other important international leader skips New Delhi during a stand-alone bilateral visit by a head of state or government to the country.

For instance, Russian President Vladimir Putin had also restricted his visit to Goa last year, but in his case the India-Russia annual summit was clubbed with the Brics summit held there.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had landed in Ahmedabad for his 2014 visit, but then travelled to Delhi for the official dialogue. In December 2015, when he visited India for the summit, Abe went to Varanasi — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency — and even performed an evening aarti at the ghats of Ganga.

Expansion of Defence Ties
A key outcome expected from Abe’s visit is expansion of the India-Japan strategic and defence partnership at a time when both Delhi and Tokyo are facing the brunt of an expansionist and militarily belligerent China. Japan went public in voicing concern over Chinese actions in Dokalam during the India-China standoff, finding common cause in the backdrop of China’s attempts to change the status quo on the Senkaku Islands. Modi and Abe are expected to emphasise that countries abide by international law and global norms across land and maritime boundaries.

Experts do not rule out an assertion of stronger India-Japan strategic partnership during Abe’s trip as part of efforts to bring stability in Asia and the Indian Ocean region. A bilateral maritime security pact is also on the cards. Modi and Abe are likely to call for greater synergy between India’s ‘Act East’ policy and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ policy, ostensibly to respond to the growing assertiveness of China. The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor for joint India-Japan infrastructure and capacity-building projects in Africa will also be formally launched during the visit. In July, India and Japan operationalised their civil nuclear pact, bringing further momentum to their strategic partnership.

All eyes will be on defence arrangements or pacts, which may include technology transfer and joint production, during the high-profile visit. China is sure to closely follow the growing strategic convergence between the two democracies in Asia that also have close ties with the US. A sharp reaction from Beijing might be expected following Abe’s trip.

“Today, the countries clearly see each other much more strategically. This is expressed through a wide range of contacts and activities, including in areas that are relatively new,” foreign secretary S Jaishankar said on Friday at an India-Japan colloquium ahead of Abe’s trip. “A broader modernisation of the Indian economy and society is very much in Japan’s larger interest. This would help create a more multipolar Asia that, in turn, enables a more multi-polar world... They realise the importance of shaping Asia’s architecture while promoting its growth, development and stability.” The dialogue between the two nations has become broader. “From just comparing notes, we have now moved on to explore the possibilities of collaborating on projects in third countries,” he said. “The agenda for India-Japan relations has elements today that could not have been contemplated some years ago... Cooperation in civil nuclear energy and in defence are two domains that portend the future direction of our ties.”

Ahead of Abe’s trip, Gujarat has planned a second Japanese-supported industrial park, at Sanand, on more than 1,000 hectares, about 10 times the existing one at Mandal. The new park is expected to draw more than Rs 20,000 crore of investment. Plans are also afoot for a residential colony, probably for expats, at par with Japanese standards. Investments from Japan are expected to rise in Gujarat in the coming years. Abe is also expected to announce a substantial investment package for India.

India plans to start construction of the 500-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail track next year and aims to make it operational in 2023. Japan has offered a $12-billion financial package at a nominal interest rate of 0.1 per cent that can be repaid in 50 years with a 15-year moratorium on payments.