On Saturday, in his first meeting with Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida failed in his push to make India align with Quad allies on the Ukraine conflict and take a stronger stance against Russia.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a very serious development which has shaken the foundation of international order. I have expressed my views to Prime Minister Modi,” Kishida said after the meeting.
In fact, the Japanese PM also elaborated his views on the matter in an article he wrote for the Indian Express prior to his New Delhi visit. Referring to agreements made during a recent Quad Leaders’ Video Conference that PM Modi also participated in, Kishida said that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine was a cause to promote security everywhere. “It is precisely because of this situation that it is critical to further promote efforts toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Modi refrained from making a direct mention of Ukraine and instead vaguely referred to speaking with Kishida about “geopolitical developments.” “Geopolitical developments are presenting a new set of challenges. In this context, the deepening of India-Japan partnership is not only important for the two countries, but also for the Indo-Pacific region and will encourage peace, prosperity and stability for the world,” he said.
The talks with PM @kishida230 were extensive and productive. He has always been a great friend of India’s. We took stock of the progress in our bilateral relations over the last few years. We also discussed various regional and global issues. pic.twitter.com/FaP3xP5o9u
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 19, 2022
Japan—which is a member of the Quad along with India, the United States (US), and Australia—has joined its Western allies in imposing and expanding sanctions on Russia over its invasion of the eastern European country. However, in pursuit of protecting its own strategic interests and maintaining an independent foreign policy, India has refused to take such punitive measures so far.
In contrast to Japan’s insistence, Australia’s envoy to India, Barry O’Farrell, said that Quad allies have “accepted” India’s stand on Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and said that New Delhi’s decision would not impact the alliance.
Although it has by and large refused to get involved in the Ukraine conflict beyond speaking individually with Russian and Ukrainian officials and calling for peace and diplomacy, New Delhi has urged respect for all countries’ “territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Seeing as it also previously abstained from voting on a resolution that condemned and called for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a withdrawal of its troops, India has hinted at displeasure with Russia’s actions. However, it continues to refrain from making any direct references to its longtime ally, which it relies on for 60-70% of its military equipment.
Modi-Kishida summit is a clear message from two major non-Western powers that their focus on China, Indo-Pacific, Myanmar, Afghanistan and rule based order in the region will continue no matter what.
— Happymon Jacob ഹാപ്പിമോൻ ജേക്കബ് (@HappymonJacob) March 20, 2022
And that Ukraine will not distract them from their strategic priorities.
Kishida and Modi also discussed their relationship with China. Briefing reporters after the summit, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that “the issue of China did come up” and that both countries exchanged their perspectives. “(PM Modi) did inform the Japanese side about the situation in Ladakh, the attempts at massing of troops, attempts at multiple transgressions.” “India-China ties cannot be business as usual, until and unless the Ladakh standoff is resolved,” Shringla stated.
Kishida and Modi also discussed the Indo-Pacific, where both countries have shared interests and deal with an increasingly aggressive China. In their joint statement, they agreed to hold another round of the 2+2 meeting of their Foreign and Defence Ministers and advance Quad cooperation through the next Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan later this year.
The leaders also condemned North Korea’s recent increase in ballistic missile tests, which they said are in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. To this end, they called for the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea.
Next, they spoke about the need to achieve “peace and stability” in Afghanistan and how this can only be achieved via a “representative and inclusive political system” and by ensuring that the country is not used for “sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts.”
Mentioning Pakistan by name, India, Japan joint statement call on Islamabad to take "resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory and comply fully with international commitments including to FATF" pic.twitter.com/YCvvpmUDaq
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 19, 2022
Along these same lines, Japan joined India in condemning Pakistan for failing to take “resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory.” The joint statement made particular mentioned the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
Keeping in line with India's position of not singling out the Myanmar junta, the joint statement also called for an “end to violence [and] the release of all those detained and a return to the path of democracy” and also emphasised on the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Japan and India also agreed on the need to "reform” the United Nations Security Council to “reflect the contemporary realities of the 21st century” and voiced their support for the “total elimination of nuclear weapons.” Reiterating their call for the international system to be reformed, they also spoke of the need for the World Trade Organization to ensure an end to “coercive economic policies and practices.”
On climate change, the two leaders said that the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership should be used to facilitate greater cooperation and development in areas such as electric vehicles (EV), storage systems including batteries, electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI), solar energy, clean including green hydrogen/ammonia, wind energy, energy efficiency, CCUS (carbon dioxide capturing, utilization and storage), and carbon recycling.
Apart from his meeting with Modi, Kishida attended the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. During the event, Japan announced its plan to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over the next five years. “Japan is one of the largest investors in India, a world-class partner. We are very grateful for this contribution,” PM Modi said. To this end, the two sides signed pacts on cyber security and announced a clean energy partnership.
The meeting comes at a time when the two countries are marking 70 years of bilateral ties, which Kishida has said is “based on cultural bonds, firm friendship, and common universal values.” In his Indian Express article, the Japanese PM described India as “the best partner to have when seeking to realize a “new form of capitalism,”” praising its manufacturing capability, climate action policies (e.g. through the Solar Alliance), endeavour to create an advanced digital society (e.g. through the Aadhaar system), and create supply chain resilience. He hailed the fact that bilateral cooperation has resulted in a “metro system built with the support of Japanese ODA is in operation, cars built by Japanese companies run on the streets,” adding that a high-speed rail system is also on its way.