Japan PM Likely To Unveil Indo-Pacific Plan For Peace During A Visit To India

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is anticipated to lay out his vision for a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ with a focus on India’s expanding significance in the area on his visit to New Delhi on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kishida are set to have extensive discussions during which the changing Indo-Pacific situation against the backdrop of China’s increasing military assertiveness is likely to come up.

The Japanese prime minister will arrive in New Delhi on Monday morning for a roughly 27-hour visit with the goal of fostering closer bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including high technology, commerce and investment, defence, and security.

In addition, Prime Ministers Modi and Kishida will talk about the G20 and G7 presidencies of Japan and India, respectively.

According to persons acquainted with the subject, the Japanese prime minister is scheduled to present his ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy for Peace’ during a lecture hosted by the Indian Council of International Affairs at the Sushma Swaraj Bhavan on Saturday.

The strategy is anticipated to emphasize India’s importance to the Indo-Pacific region.

PM Kishida stated last June at the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that he will put out the Indo-Pacific strategy next spring.

He said, “By next spring, I will put out a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy for Peace’, which will enhance Japan’s efforts to further promote the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a focus on providing patrol vessels and expanding maritime law enforcement capabilities, as well as cyber security, digital and green initiatives, and economic security”.

The plan is anticipated to explain Japan’s Indo-Pacific policy and approach.

Almost all of the major powers have recently released their plans for the Indo-Pacific.

In order to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, Japan has been advocating for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Additionally, it has expressed worry over China’s belligerent military behavior in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and East China Sea.

Japan is a part of the Quad, a four-nation alliance that has been working to advance stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific.

The Quad also includes the US, Australia, and India.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a project intended for stronger cooperation among like-minded nations in sectors including sustainable energy, supply-chain resilience, and digital trade, was introduced by US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad leaders’ conference in Tokyo on May of last year.

The Quad leaders also unveiled the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative at their summit (IPMDA).

(With input from PTI)